A Restless Distress
by AnneM.Oliver
Summary: He was treated like an outcast,a menance to society. No one could forgive or forget.But it doesn't distress him,until he sees her and gets involved whether he wants to or not.If he wants the world to think he's changed,then he really has to change, right?
1. 1 Discreet

**All characters belong to JKR**

**A Restless Distress**

**By:**

**Anne M Oliver**

**Chapter 1: Discreet:**

He was a prisoner in his own home. Not literally, but figuratively. He was an outcast and a menace to society. At least, those were some of the nicer things people said about him. He didn't care. Really, he didn't. Let them talk about him in hushed tones. Let them hide their children's eyes when he walked by. Let them never forget, and by God, never forgive. It didn't matter to him. He wasn't distressed by this in any way, shape, or form.

He was lonely sometimes, but then again, wasn't everyone? He was paying for the sins of his father and for his own reckless youth. The loneliness went hand in hand with the contempt and hatred that most people felt toward him. Again, he didn't really care.

This particular night he decided to go out to eat at one of his favourite restaurants. The reason he liked this restaurant so much was that the son of a former Death Eater owned it. Therefore, Draco Malfoy was welcomed with open arms. No one would point and stare at him there. He liked his privacy. If he could change into someone else, even just for a day, he probably would, but he couldn't. As he walked to the restaurant, he got his usual points and stares. For goodness sakes people, it's been five years. Give it a rest already.

He knew he would always be known as the son of a Death Eater. He would always be remembered as the boy who let Death Eaters into Hogwarts. He would always be blamed for the death of their headmaster. There was no use complaining, because he couldn't change his past. All he can do was dictate his future.

He was wealthy. That was a bit of an understatement. He was filthy rich. Therefore, to redeem himself, he gave away a lot of money, all the time, to numerous charities. He wanted to make the Malfoy name respected once more, as if it ever really was.

He never dated. He had sex sometimes. Money can buy all sorts of things. If you offer a slag enough money, she'll pretend you're the love of her life. He didn't need love. He had done without it for so long, he wouldn't know what to do with it if he had it.

He finally reached the restaurant and opened the door to enter. The hostess sat him at his usual table. The owner came over and shook his hand. He told him to try the special tonight. It was supposedly very good. He ordered the special and a glass of the house wine.

He was sitting at his table, starting his meal, when his attention was drawn to a table at the far right hand corner of the restaurant. A man and a woman were apparently in an intense argument. The woman, who had her back to Draco, tried to get up from the table, but the man pushed her back in her seat. Soon, other patrons were watching the blatant display of lack of manners. People should keep their dirty laundry at home. Soon, the owner and one of the waiters went over to the arguing couple and asked them to be quiet or leave.

The wizard stood up and pointed his wand toward the owner. 'That's not very nice,' Draco thought. The owner told his wait staff to call the Wizarding Police. The woman tried to stand again, to leave, to escape, when the man took her by the arm and tried to make her leave with him. She tried desperately to get away. She was even pleading for him to let her go. Now Draco was wondering if they were really even together.

Just then, the man sent a hex at the owner of the restaurant. Several patrons screamed. Others drew their wands. Draco stood to leave; he didn't need to be involved in anyone else's fight. He thought it was best to be discreet. He wouldn't want his name in the papers, after all. As he walked to the door, the woman that was in the middle of the debauchery stood to leave at well. Suddenly, she looked toward the door and stared directly into Draco's eyes. The restaurant was dark; that was one of the reasons he liked to go there; so he had to strain to look at her, but he was sure he had seen her somewhere before. Before he could figure out who she was, she ran out of the restaurant and left the man there.

Soon, several Aurors appeared and escorted the unruly man out of the restaurant. The owner told Draco he could finish his meal, everything was fine now. No, Draco told him. He was no longer hungry. As he left the restaurant it dawned on him why that woman seemed so familiar. It was because he went to school with her for so many years. It was Hermione Granger. He knew that was who that was. She must have recognized him as well. He knew that from the way she had looked at him.

He started walking back to his flat. He lived in wizarding London, not far from the restaurant. From the outside, his building looked deserted and abandoned. From the inside, it was beautiful and luxurious. His apartment had two bedrooms, not including the master suite. It had three baths, a large kitchen, dining, lounge, and study. It also had a large outdoor balcony. He had ample servant quarters for his two house elves. He still owned his families estate, he just preferred to stay elsewhere. After all that went on in that house during the dark reign of Voldemort, well, it was better that he didn't stay there. There were too many bad memories for him and too many bad connotations for others.

He was almost home when he passed an alleyway that he usually never even noticed. Tonight was different, however. Tonight, he saw a woman lying on the ground, withering in pain, and a man standing over her with a wand pointed at her. At first, Draco hid behind the building. He really shouldn't get involved. But then again, how could he convince the world he had changed for the better and not really change. He snuck his head back around the corner, and he saw the man yelling down at the woman, who was still on the ground.

"Tell me where they're hiding, or I swear I'll curse you again!" the man yelled at her. She didn't say anything. She just whimpered in pain. The man pointed his wand at her again and sent her another curse.

Draco was pretty sure that man had used an unforgivable curse on the woman. He knew it in his heart. He got out his wand and slowly approached the pair, trying in vain to be as quiet as he could. When he was closer to them, he felt waves of anxiety mixed with guilt swirl in his soul. It was the man from the restaurant, which could only mean one thing: on the ground was the same woman, and that woman was definitely Hermione Granger. Draco sucked in a deep breath, which made the man turn to face him. Before Draco knew what was happening, the man sent an unforgivable curse toward him. He fell to the ground in gut wrenching pain. He heard a scream, which he recognized as his own.

He could only hope that the pain would end soon. If it didn't end soon, he hoped that death would come quickly. Before he had a chance to say hello to death, the pain stopped. He looked up and saw Granger standing over the man, who was now on the ground next to Draco. Draco sat up with sweat pouring over him, shivering from the cold night air and from the pain that swelled in every nerve ending of his body. He stood as well and walked over to her. She had Draco's wand in her hand, and it was still pointed at the man on the ground, who Draco was now sure was dead. He went up and moved the man's face with his foot. No reaction. Then he bent down and looked for the man's chest to rise and fall. He was still. Draco stood back up and kicked the dead man in the ribs. Filthy bastard! Draco was glad he was dead. He turned back toward Hermione Granger, who still pointed his wand at the dead man. She appeared to be in shock. She wasn't moving. She wasn't crying. She wasn't responding in any way that would be a normal response, seeing that she had just been tortured moments ago, and then had killed a man.

Draco took his wand from her and looked around the alley for hers. He found it right behind them. He bent to pick it up along with her purse, which was at her feet. He put both wands in his cloak, and said, "You better get out of here." He shoved her purse into her hands. She shook her head no.

"Granger, get the hell out of here now," he repeated. Surely, someone had heard their screams earlier. Surely, the Aurors would soon return. "Listen, Granger, just leave. I'll take care of all this. I'll tell them that I just found him like this. They'll be able to examine his wand and see that he had just performed an unforgivable curses. They'll assume he was in a fight."

"He used my wand to perform the curse on both of us," she finally said.

"Well, then take your wand and get the hell out of here," he implored.

"They might examine your wand, and find that it was the one that killed him," she told him.

Shite, he didn't think of that. They both needed to get the hell out of there. "Then we both need to leave, now, before the Aurors come back. I don't understand how he got away from them. I saw them escort him out of the restaurant," Draco said.

"He is an Auror," she revealed.

"Great, this just keeps getting better and better!" Draco said aloud.

"Malfoy, just take both our wands and apparate out of here. Now! I'll take care of this. I'll think of something. I don't want you involved," she told him.

"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it, Granger?" he spat back at her.

They heard approaching footsteps. Without even thinking, she grabbed his arm and said, "Get us out of here." Therefore, he did.

He apparated them directly inside his apartment. He was the only one who was able to apparate or disapparate in or out of his flat. He had many charms and wards up for his own protection. She collapsed on his sofa, and he went to go make them something to drink. He came back with two glasses of scotch. He handed one to her, half expecting her to hand it back, but to his surprise, she gulped it in one drink. She coughed a bit afterwards, but still, pretty impressive, he thought.

He was now pacing back and forth in front of her and he finally spoke. "Who the hell was that man, your boyfriend?"

"Not hardly," she answered.

"Well?" he motioned with his hands.

"As I said, he's an Auror. He had been after me to question me about a case he's on, and I kept avoiding him. Finally, he threatened to bring me to the Ministry for official questioning if I didn't agree to meet him. I thought if we met at a public place, I would be safe. I was wrong." She was trembling. Malfoy took off his jacket and threw it at her. How gallant. She put it over her shoulders and held up her glass to him. He understood, and poured her another drink.

"Why did he want to question you?" Draco asked curiously.

"I can't tell you that. I really can't," she said as she took the drink from him.

"Well hell, Granger, I think I deserve to know, since I'm up to my chin in all this shite, you know?" he said with a sneer.

"Well hell, Malfoy," she mocked, as she stood and threw his jacket back at him, "no one told you to get involved."

"Oh yes, Granger, because you were handling it all so well lying on the ground in pain and all," he retorted back.

"I'm sorry you got involved. I promise I'll never tell anyone of your involvement. I won't even tell anyone of my involvement. Just give me my wand and let me get the hell out of here." She reached for his cloak, which he had thrown earlier on a nearby chair, but he was quicker.

"Now, now, Granger, don't be stupid. I can't just let you leave. I deserve an explanation, so I'll know what I'm up against," he said as he walked around her.

"Fine," she said defeated, "sit down and I'll explain everything." She sat back on the couch, and so did he. He threw his cloak, with the wands, back on the chair. She then said, "May I get another drink first?"

"Merlin, Granger, are you an alcoholic now?" he laughed with spite. "I'll get it for you."

"No, I can get it," she leveled. She stood with her glass and walked over to the cart where he had earlier made their drinks. She poured herself another drink and started to approach the couch. Then, she did something that was so low down and dirty, that someday Malfoy would probably admire her for it. She threw her drink directly in his face, and as he wiped at his eyes, she rushed for his cloak and withdrew her wand. "I'm sorry to do this, Malfoy," she said, and she stunned him. He fell backwards, momentarily disoriented and confused. She took the opportunity to try to apparate away. If only she could. She didn't know about his wards and anti-apparating charms. She couldn't leave.

It only took her a moment to realize that she couldn't leave by apparating, so she tried to leave the old fashion way, by the door. By the time she reached it, he had reached her. He jumped at her and knocked her to the floor. "You stupid whore!" he yelled. "First, I'm cursed because of you, and now you stun me? You'll pay for that."

He straddled her body as she kicked and screamed for him to get off her. She raked her nails up and down his face and arms, which made him yell in pain, and made him angrier than he had been in a long time. He managed to turn her to her stomach and he held both her arms behind her back. He was bigger and stronger than she was, so she couldn't escape. He managed to stand, while still holding her. He threw her as hard as he could on the couch, and he retrieved his wand from his cloak and pointed it at her chest.

They were both out of breath. He wasn't only out of breath, but he felt as if he had just been literally tossed off a broom while it was in the air. Every muscle in his body hurt.

He finally sat in the chair that contained his cloak, and said, "Start talking bitch, because otherwise, revenge is sweet and I'll not hesitate to hex your arse halfway across my living room."

"Leave me alone you pathetic little excuse for a wizard," she said to him with a hiss.

He stood up and said, "I think you need to be taught some respect, Granger." He started to hex her, and she buried her head in her chest, waiting for the onslaught. He wished he could hex her. He really did. The old Malfoy would have. He couldn't have changed that much. After all, she cursed him. He still had his wand leveled at her and he took another step closer. She shut her eyes.

He stared at her, for what felt like hours, but was really merely seconds. He threw his wand across the room and said, "Get the hell out of my house, Granger, and don't ever tell anyone we even saw each other tonight. Understand?"

She looked up from the couch, were she was previously cowering. She stood up, picked up her wand and purse, and walked toward his door. He was still standing by the couch, looking away from her. She took the few steps back toward him and reached for his arm. This shook him from his stupor and he looked closely at her. He felt as if he was looking at her for the first time in his life. She still had her hand on his arm when she said, "I really am so sorry you got involved with all of this, and I'm sorry you were cursed tonight, but more than anything, I'm sorry I hexed you. I promise no one will ever know we saw each other tonight." She gave his arm a little squeeze and started back toward the door. He turned to watch her leave and she said, "If you're lucky, maybe we'll never have to see each other ever again," and with a sad smile, she opened his door and left.

He sat back down and picked up his drink from earlier. He started to take a drink, but instead, he slammed the glass back on the coffee table, where the tumbler proceeded to shatter. He leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. The only real problem he could see, as far as everything that had happened tonight, was the fact that he hoped very much that they would see each other again.

(Coming up in Chapter 2, Draco finds Hermione at his front door, but is not at all pleased to see her.)


	2. 2 Danger

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 2, Danger:**

It had been a week since the incident in the alley. Draco had been reading the paper every morning to see if there was news about the man that Hermione had killed. There wasn't. That was odd. If the man truly were an Auror, and a Ministry employee, surely there would be a full-blown investigation. Maybe Granger lied to him. Maybe the man wasn't an Auror. What purpose would have been served by her lying? Maybe the man lied to Granger. Maybe he wasn't an Auror, and he just wanted her to think he was. Again, this didn't make sense to Draco either. She was smart. Surely, she would have checked out the man's story before agreeing to meet with him.

Draco was again reading his morning paper, looking for news of that night, when he heard a knock on the door. It shook him to his core. A knock on the door to the normal witch or wizard would just mean that they had a visitor. However, for Draco, it meant something more sinister, he was sure. The reason he came to that conclusion was that in the fifteen months he had lived at his present residence, he had never had one visitor. Not once. He had people over to visit, but always invited, or they came to his flat with him. No one uninvited had ever knocked on his door.

He rose from his chair at the dining room table and started toward the door. He always kept his wand on him. Even at home. He pulled it out of his robe and went to the door. He heard the knocking again. He felt stupid, but he wasn't about to just open the door, so he said, "Who is it?

"Malfoy?" said a female voice, "Let me in. It's Hermione Granger."

No way. Granger was the last person he expected or even wanted to see. Though that last part wasn't completely true…he thought he might want to see her again, he still didn't expect that he would. He said, "Tell me something only Hermione Granger would know," to make sure it was really her.

"Okay," she stated, "You're the world's biggest git."

Very funny. Any one could have said that, he thought. "I said tell me something only Hermione Granger would know," he said annoyed.

"Just let me in you stupid prat," she seethed.

It was Granger, all right. Malfoy opened the door, and she rushed in, and looked behind her shoulder as she entered. This made him nervous, so he put his head out of the doorway to look in the hall as well. He wasn't sure why. He came back in and shut his door. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I really need to talk to you. It's very important." She seemed nervous. She invited herself to sit on his couch.

"Let me go put some clothes on, and I'll be right back," he answered. He came back in the room roughly twenty minutes later.

"It took you long enough," Hermione barked.

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was on a timetable. I had to shower before I got dressed. Do you mind?" he said rhetorically. He didn't really care if she minded or not. "Now, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't see each other again."

"I know, but things have gotten a bit stickier," she began.

"I don't want to hear another word unless you promise me you'll tell me everything, Granger," Malfoy said as he sat next to her on the couch.

"That's why I'm here," she said. Then she looked around, as if to check that they were alone.

"What are you doing, Granger?" he asked her.

"Are we alone?" she asked.

"It's 8:00 o'clock in the morning. We're alone." He rolled his eyes.

"Right, well, I work for a newspaper called 'The Wizard Times' have you heard of it before?" she began.

Of course, he had heard of it. He even had a subscription. He didn't remember ever seeing her name on any of the articles. He sat there without answering her question and she must have finally realized that he wanted her to continue.

"Well," she said, "I was writing an article about a rogue group of Muggle born witches and wizards that have taken to calling themselves, "The Mud Ones". The Ministry deems them terrorist, even though their ideology thus far has been all talk, no action. They haven't really done anything to harm anyone. Mostly, they're just about exposing the prejudices and hate mongering of pureblood elitist and former Death Eaters."

She stopped for a moment, then continued, "A man named Kevin Riley came to me, knowing that I was Muggle born, and said he had information of this group, and that he knew of a plan that they had to, and I quote, 'rid the world of all former Death Eaters and their heirs.' Therefore, I wrote the article, with the information I was given, and before it was published, the man I killed contacted me. He told me he was an Auror named Rubin Meyers and he demanded I give him the name of my source, which, I refused."

"Why would this Kevin Riley fellow give you this information?" Draco asked her. "Did you even ask him how he knew of their plan?"

"I assumed he was part of their organization, and he either was having second thoughts about taking their cause to a more serious juncture, or that he was perhaps feeding me false information, to some how discredit The Mud Ones. Either way, my publishers and I decided it was enough to go on and I wrote the story."

"I subscribe to that newspaper. I haven't seen such a story appear," Draco told her.

"Why, of course you haven't. It just so happened that before we could publish the article, the Ministry contacted us, they demanded all of my information, and they forced the magazine to squelch the article. Then, just two months later, that Meyers fellow contacted me, and demanded the name of my source."

"Why didn't you just give him the name?" Draco asked.

"Because, as a journalist, I have to protect my sources," she told him, "But that's the thing Malfoy; I have since found out that Rubin Meyer wasn't even an Auror. He didn't work for the Ministry at all. That wasn't even his real name. Harry just told me yesterday that the Ministry was trying to find the name of my source, to see if there was any validity to the fact that they wanted to find and kill former Death Eaters. He asked me please to come in for questioning. I told him that I had already been asked to come in weeks ago by an Auror named Ruben Meyers. That's when Harry told me that there was no Auror working at the Ministry by that name."

This was getting too confusing, Draco thought. "Wwho was that man that we killed in the alley? Do you know?"

"Yes, I now know who he was and you know too, and by the way, 'we' didn't kill him, I did," she said.

"I never saw that man before that night," Draco explained, ignoring the fact that she changed his 'we' to an 'I'.

Hermione moved closer to Draco on the couch, and took a file out of her satchel. "Harry snuck this out of the Ministry for me. It's a file on the man I killed. His real name was Terrence Dolohov. Does that name ring a bell?" she quizzed.

Of course, that name rang a bell. Antonio Dolohov was the name of a very well known Death Eater. In fact, that was the name of the Death Eater that cursed Hermione at the Department of Mysteries their fifth year at school.

Hermione continued, "His father, as we know, was killed in the war. Terrence Dolohov apparently disappeared shortly after the war and no one knew where he was. The Ministry started a file on him, and he was still being sought for questioning, but the Ministry never found him."

Draco pondered this for a moment, and asked, "How did Potter know this was the same man that was posing as an Auror. Does he know that the man's dead? Does he know that we killed him?"

"First, I will say this only once more, I killed him; you had nothing to do with it," she said in a steady voice, "Second, I went back to the alley that night and his body was still there. I contacted Harry and told him that we had met earlier in the evening and that he demanded I answer his questions, and that I ran from him, and later found him in the alley."

"And Potter believed that?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Well, he didn't see any reason for me to lie to him," she explained. "That's when he told me that this man wasn't an Auror. He told me when he found out who he really was he would let me know. A few days later he gave me this file."

Draco stood up and spoke, "All of this is interesting enough, Granger, but what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that," she said, standing also. She walked up to him, and took out a small envelope, which was also in her satchel. "I got this last night. You'd better take a look."

Draco opened the envelope and took out a piece of parchment. It said:

* * *

_H.G.,_

_I have more information for you, if you want to know. Let me say that first, I know what you did. I know you killed a man and all because you were protecting me. I can't tell you how terrible I feel that you had to risk your life, and take a life to protect mine. If you meet me tonight, I'll tell you how I know about this._

_Let me also tell you that the man you killed was not an Auror. He was a known Death Eater, and his name was on the list of people that THE MUD ONES were planning on executing. This makes me believe that he somehow found out about their plans, and was hoping you would led him to the organization, so he could stop them, or kill them first._

_The next bit of info I need to tell you is this, stay away from Draco Malfoy. I know that he was in the alley with you that night. Again, I'll tell you how I know all of this tonight. However, please, stay away from him. He's also on the list. You're in danger from both sides if you continue to associate with him._

_Please, meet me tonight, in the same place as last time, 10pm sharp._

_K.R._

* * *

"What does this mean? I'm on what kind of list?" Draco asked.

"I can only hypothesize, but I think it means that you're on the list of people that this terrorist group wants to see dead," she said hesitantly, "Also, do you realize that if someone saw us in that alley, that we're in a lot of trouble? What if they tell the Ministry? On the other hand, what if some former Death Eater finds out that we killed one of their chums. I think we're in serious trouble, Malfoy." Hermione finished.

Draco started pacing around the room. He yelled, "Well, isn't that just great. I've spent the last five years of my life trying to prove to everyone that I've reformed, and that I no longer have any ties to the Dark Lord, and then this stupid little group, the muddy ones, or whatever their stupid name is, comes along and they want to off me anyway. What the hell? Does the Ministry know about this? Are they doing anything about this?"

"Well, I told Harry that my source contacted me again, and that they're aware that the man found dead in the alley was a Death Eater, and that he was one of their targets. I also told him that I had information that you were also a target, but I couldn't very well show him this letter, could I? Then everyone would know that I killed a man." She sat back down and put her head in her hands. Draco thought for a moment she was going to cry, but instead she raised her head and said, "That's why I have to meet him tonight. I feel obligated. I have to find out what he knows about the plot to kill you and the others."

"What do you want from me?" Draco implored. "Are you merely here to tell me my life's in danger, or do you want something more from me?"

"I want you to come with me tonight to meet Kevin," she told him.

"NO BLOODY WAY, GRANGER!" he yelled, "I've been trying to avoid scandal and danger for five years now. I'm not about to go play the bloody hero with you tonight. Get Potter to go with you. That's more up his alley."

"But, I can't tell Harry about the note! I told you that!" she yelled back.

Draco walked to his door and said, "Get the hell out of my apartment, Granger."

She walked over to him and said, "What about everything I told you?'

"Yes, yes, it was all informative, if not a little farfetched. You don't even know if the information this fellow is giving you in credible. In any case, I'm not getting any more involved in this than I already am," Draco opened the door and said, "Now, keep your promise from the other night and don't ever come see me again. Get out."

Hermione looked at him as if he had physically hit her. She couldn't believe him. "Very well, Malfoy, but please, keep your eyes open and try to stay safe. I'll go meet Kevin on my own tonight." She walked over to the couch and picked up her satchel, and left Draco's apartment.

Draco slammed the door behind her, for affect, and then walked over to his couch and plopped down on it. This was all too much to take it. Was any of this real? It seemed so improbable. If Draco was in any danger, he wasn't going to be a sitting duck and let the bastards come and get him. It was time he reinforced his security on his flat and his person, he decided.

He got up off the couch, and looked at the door. He hoped she would be all right tonight. If she was smart, she wouldn't even bother to go. While Draco knew that she was certainly smart, that didn't mean that she would be rational and think of the consequences. He thought again that he hoped she will be all right tonight, he really did.

(Coming up in Chapter 3, Hermione shows up at Malfoy's flat again, but this time under completely different circumstances.)


	3. 3 Denial

**all charcters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 3: Denial**:

Draco went through his day and tried to ignore the sinking feeling that was in his gut. He knew he should have tried to stop Granger from her little rendezvous that she had planned tonight. Maybe he even should have gone with her, but every time he let one of these thought enter his head, he would rationalize the fact that he had no prior relationship with Granger. She wasn't his responsibility. Why should he have to worry about her, or even look out for her? It was hard enough to take care of himself. He wasn't her bloody keeper.

He went to work that day still thinking about her safety. He went into his office at Malfoy Enterprises and told his assistant to make sure he wasn't bothered at all. He wanted all meetings cancelled. He didn't want to take any messages or receive any visitors. He sat at his desk and put his head down on his arms. While did he feel guilty, dammit? She could take care of herself.

It was apparent he wasn't going to get any work done today. He got up and told his assistant that he was going home, and was not to be contacted in any way, shape, or form. His assistant tried to motion to Malfoy that there was someone waiting for him in the outer office, but Malfoy was too preoccupied to pay attention to the signs the man was giving him. Malfoy turned to leave and surprise of all surprises, Harry 'stupid wanker' Potter was standing in the flesh before his very eyes.

He tried to walk right past him, but Potter stood up and said, "Malfoy, I'm here on official Ministry business. We need to talk."

"Let's talk and walk then, because I was just heading home," Malfoy snapped.

"Its ten o'clock in the morning," Potter exclaimed, "you put in a long day at work, aye?"

"Cut the crap and tell me why you're here," Draco said, running his hand through his hair. Draco headed toward the lifts with Potter by his side.

As the lift doors closed, Potter said, "The Ministry has reliable information that your life may be in danger."

"So?" Draco said.

"So, I need to let you know that the Ministry is offering you protection, if you should want it," Harry answered.

"No thanks," Draco said as he walked off the elevator.

Harry walked in front of Draco, and put his hand out to stop him. "Don't you even want to know what all of this is about, Malfoy?" Harry inquired.

Since he already knew what it was about, he just told Potter, "Not particularly. Now, if you'll excuse me Potter, I need to get home."

He left Potter in the Entry Hall of Malfoy Enterprises, looking aghast, and he apparated home.

He spent the rest of the day meandering around his apartment. He put up some extra protection charms, and other such nonsense. Mostly, he just did little things to keep himself busy. He wished he knew how to get a hold of Granger. Not that he had changed his mind; he still wasn't going with her to meet this informant. He merely would like to get a hold of her, if he could.

The morning passed into afternoon, the afternoon passed into evening. When the evening finally succumbed to night, Draco was beside himself with worry. Damn Granger. He was sitting on his sofa, trying to read a book, when the clock on his mantle chimed ten times. It was 10:00 o'clock. It was time for her meeting. He tried to read his book again, but when he realized he had read the same paragraph for the fifth time; he threw the damn book down. He went to go make himself a drink. He went out to his patio and sat down on a lounge chair. The stars were very bright tonight. He wondered if Granger could see the night sky wherever she was.

Draco woke up with a start. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep. What time was it? He walked through the patio doors into his living room, and looked at the clock on the mantle. It was 12:38 am. Her meeting had to be long over. He should have told her to contact him when she was done, so he would have known if she was okay. Instead, the last thing he said to her was 'don't ever contact me again'.

He decided to go on to bed. He walked to his front door to make sure it was properly locked, and that all anti-lock charms were in place. As he approached the door, he heard a small cry. Like the cry of an injured animal, or maybe the cry of a dove. He pulled out his wand and slowly opened his door. Granger!

She was lying on his doorstep in a heap. She was on her side, with her back up against his door. He quickly pulled her over the threshold, and shut and locked his door. He turned her over; and what he saw almost made him throw-up. She was almost unrecognizable. If it weren't for her hair, he wouldn't even have known it was she. Her face was beaten and bloodied. He left arm looked like it was barely still attached to her body. She had lacerations and abrasions and bruises everywhere. He was afraid to lift her, but he didn't want her to be on the cold marble of his foyer any longer than she had to be.

He levitated her to one of the guestrooms and called for one of his house elves. He told the little elf to contact Draco's personal healer, and have the man summoned to his flat immediately. He reminded the elf to be sure to open the floo in the living room so the healer could enter. He didn't know if he should call Potter or not. For the time being, he wouldn't. As he was waiting for the healer to arrive; which he knew would be soon, (considering he paid the man such a high monthly stipend) he decided to try to check to make sure she was still alive. From the looks of things, that possible outcome was dubious at best. He leaned over her, and that was when he saw it: a note, pinned to her blouse, addressed to him.

He took a deep breath in, because he was afraid to remove the note. First, he was afraid of hurting Granger. Second, he really didn't want to know what it said. He plucked up the courage, removed the note, and read the damn thing.

* * *

_To Draco Malfoy, Death Eater:_

_This is just a taste of what's in store for you. We didn't kill her, because she's not a pureblood. But we wanted you to know that we're serious. We'll rid the world of all Death Eater scum. You'll be next. And we'll not leave you alive, as we did her. You will die. We're coming for you._

_Remind Granger that she'll be next, if she doesn't cease interfering in our business. Also give her our gratitude for killing Dolohoe. One less Death Eater for us to kill._

_You have been warned. Until we meet:_

_The Mud Ones_

* * *

Malfoy felt a constriction in his chest. He read the note once more. He wanted so badly to throw it in the fireplace and destroy the blasted thing, but he thought better of it, and decided he should put it somewhere safe. He opened the top drawer of the bureau in the guestroom and put it safely inside.

His servant told him that the healer had arrived. Draco ran to the fireplace in the living room to meet him. He showed the man to the guestroom. When the healer entered, he took one look at the woman on the bed, and turned to look at Malfoy. "What happened?" the man implored.

Draco told him he really didn't know. The healer insisted that he had to take her to St. Mungos immediately. He said that she was injured beyond what he could handle. Draco knew if he took Hermione to the hospital that too many questions would need answered. He shook his head no, and told the healer to do his best, but she must stay where she was. He asked no questions, and got to work. He said many healing charms, and at one point, he asked Malfoy to step out of the room.

It was almost an hour before the healer left the bedroom. He told Malfoy not to move her. He gave him several vials of potions, with instructions on when to give them to her and how often. He said he would return in the morning. As the healer started to go, Draco asked, "What all did they do to her?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked Draco.

Did he? Did he really want to know? He decided that no, he really didn't. Not right now. Not yet. He shook his head no and shook the man's hand. Draco went back into the guestroom and pulled a chair up next to the bed. She looked more like herself, at least. However, that wasn't saying much, as she still looked marred and wounded.

Around four in the morning, she started to stir. Draco, who had not fallen asleep, not even once, jumped immediately out of his chair. He leaned down on the bed, gently, not wanting to cause her any discomfort, and said, "Hermione?"

She merely moaned, and then was silent once more. He sat back down in the chair. What they hell was he supposed to do now?

(Coming up: Draco tries to heal Hermione, one way or the other.)


	4. 4 Distraction

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 4: Distraction:**

The healer came back around nine o'clock in the morning. He examined Granger and told Malfoy that she was going to be fine. He said her arm would take a while to heal, but that her internal and external injuries would heal without any problems. Malfoy walked back into the guestroom, and Granger was awake, but her face was toward the opposite wall.

"How do you feel?" Malfoy asked her.

She turned her head toward him, and smiled a small, sad, weak smile and said, "I'm fine." She turned back toward the wall.

"Do you need anything? Are you hungry?" he inquired of her.

She just shook her head no.

He sat down on the bed, and said, "What happened?" Maybe it was too early for her to talk about what happened. Maybe she didn't even want to talk about it at all, but Malfoy would not be deterred. He was determined to find out what happened to her.

Without turning her head to look at him, she said, "I'm not completely sure what happened. When I got to the location, Kevin wasn't there. Instead, three wizards apparated in front of me. Before I knew what was happening, and before I could react, or even draw my wand, all three sent hexes at me. Then, one of the wizards dragged me by my left arm, and apparated with me to a different location. Once we were there, they used good old-fashioned brute force, and started hitting and kicking me. They told me to stop interfering in things I shouldn't, or I would be killed. One of the wizards said that he was going to send you a message through me. Then, I blacked out. I woke up here this morning. End of the story." She was crying without making a sound, but Draco saw tears falling from her eyes. He didn't tell her that she did have a message from them to him when she arrived. He would tell her about that another time.

"Do you want me to contact Potter?" Draco didn't know what else to ask her. He wanted to say, "Do you want me to kill the bastards for you?" because, that was what he wanted to do, but since she didn't even know who did this to her, how was he supposed to know?

She turned her head to him, and said, "No, don't tell Harry." Then she hastened to add, "Draco, you're in danger. You need to leave."

"I can take care of myself. I have for a long time," he told her.

He left the room and told one of his elves to make her some breakfast, even if she didn't want any. Next, he showered, and changed his clothes. When he went back to her room, she was sitting up, trying to get out of bed. He rushed over to her and said, "No, the healer said you needed rest. You can't get up. You can't leave." He didn't want her to leave. He wanted to protect her. If she left, he couldn't do that. He couldn't understand why he felt that way, because such feelings were foreign to him, hence making them indescribable, but that was how he felt.

She said, "I need to go to the bathroom." He felt like an idiot. Of course, she needed to go to the bathroom. He bent to help her stand and with her hand on one of his arms, and his other arm around her waist, he helped her to the bathroom. He told her he would be right outside the door. When she was done, he walked in the bathroom and she said, "I feel so dirty. I need to take a shower."

In all truthfulness, Draco doubted that she would be able to stand long enough to take a shower, but in any case, he turned on the shower, adjusted the temperature, and went to get her some towels and a washcloth. He asked her if she needed any assistance, because he could get one of his house elves. She said she could handle everything.

He walked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed. He was anxious, and he wasn't sure why. He walked up to the bathroom door and put his ear on the wood, to see if he could hear anything. He was not sure why he did what he did next, but he opened the door, just a crack, to make sure she was still okay. He poked his head in and he heard her in the shower. He also heard her crying. He walked up to the shower curtain, and asked, "Granger, is everything all right in there?" She didn't answer. She just continued to cry.

Well, what was he going to do now? He didn't want to impede on her privacy, but he felt compelled to open the curtain slightly, to see why she was crying. He opened the curtain, just a bit, and saw her standing under the stream of water, with her face buried in her hands, and her whole body leaning toward the wall. From that angle, he could only see her back, buttocks and legs. She was still very bruised and broken looking. He felt as if he was trespassing, but he said, "Granger?" To this, she just cried harder.

"Granger?" he said more sternly, "are you going to be okay in there?" She still didn't answer. He closed the shower curtain and leaned on the vanity for a moment. She was still sobbing. He took off his shirt, and slacks, and stripped to his boxers. He pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in with her. For some odd reason, it felt like the most natural thing to do. She didn't stop him. He came up behind her crying frame, and he took her washcloth and lathered it with soap. He started washing her back with small little circles. None of this was sexual to him. It was intimate, but not sexual. He reached his hand around to her face and started to wash it as well. He drew the soap filled cloth down one arm, and then up the other. He bent down and washed her legs. She still had her back to him. He could see the swell of her breast. He didn't think he should venture any further, so he put the cloth down, and then picked up the shampoo.

She was still sobbing. Did she even know he was in the shower with her? He put a small amount of shampoo on his palm, and worked his hands into her mop of hair. He started massaging her scalp, and she finally stopped crying and actually leaned into him. She was now standing with her full body weight against his. If he looked down, he could see her bare breasts. He tried very hard not to look down. When he was done with her hair, he pushed her closer to the stream of water, with his chest, and started to rinse her hair. He let his hands fall down the long brown tresses, which with the weight of the water; her hair seemed longer and almost black. When he was almost finished, she put her own hands up and put them in her hair. She started running her own hands through her hair to rinse out the shampoo. He took a step back from her and all of the sudden he was very aware of his own presence in the shower. He suddenly felt like he was imposing on her, so he stepped out of the shower, and dried off. He put a towel around his waist, and waited for her to finish.

He heard the water turn off. He wanted to retreat before she got out, but he knew she might need help out of the tub. She opened the curtain slightly, and held out a hand. As if using an unspoken language, only the two of them could speak, he handed her a towel. After the briefest of moments, he opened the curtain. She had the towel wrapped around her. He took one look in her eyes, and she stared into his. Then, she started crying again. He rushed to her, and helped her out of the tub. He took another towel and started patting her hair dry. He threw that towel down on the floor, and turned her around so she was facing him. He put his arms around her, and she seemed to melt into him.

He had never once, in his whole life, felt the swirl of emotions that he felt right now. He barely knew her, yet he felt more for her in that moment than he had ever felt for any other woman. He held her in his arms and made cooing and soothing noises to her. He wanted to protect her somehow. He wanted to kill the men who did this to her. He wanted _her._ But, he shouldn't feel all these things. He didn't even really know her. Taking care of her was a good distraction for him. It helped him forget about his own miserable life.

He walked with her back to the bed, and she sat down. She still had her hands on her face. He knelt down beside her, and removed her hands. He got on his knees, on the floor by the bed, and she fell forward, and put her head on his shoulder. He started stroking her wet back, up and down. He stood back up, and manipulated her, for she was limp like a rag doll, and he placed her back down on the bed. She was still in the towel. He pulled her back toward the headboard a bit, and then pulled the covers over her. He then climbed over her body, and he lay next to her on top of the covers, still in his towel. He pulled her to his chest, and rubbed her arm with his fingers. She finally stopped crying, and at last, he heard the steady sound of her breathing, which meant she was sleeping once more. He felt so tired, so instead of fighting the inevitable, he decided to let slumber envelope him as well, and he fell asleep right beside her, with her still in his arms.

(Coming up in Chapter 5, Draco deceives Hermione for her own good)


	5. 5 Deceptions

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 5, Deceptions:**

Several days had gone by, and Draco still found himself drawn to the paper everyday, but now he was looking for signs that someone was missing Hermione. On the fifth day of her recovery, Draco read the article he had been dreading, but also anticipating. The Daily Prophet ran a story that Hermione Granger, reporter for the Wizarding Times, was missing and there was suspected foul play. The article mentioned that she had been working on a story about a terrorist group called the Mud Ones and that her disappearance was the number one priority of the Ministry.

He walked into his study, where Hermione spent most of her days reading, and threw the paper to her. She looked up at him, questioning, and picked the paper up off her lap and read the story. "We should contact Harry," she said, "and let him know I'm not missing." Draco shook his head no.

"I've been thinking about that. I think you're safer if you stay out of the public eye. I agree with your earlier thoughts from a few days ago, I don't think we should stay here anymore. The men who did this to you apparently know where I live, or else they wouldn't have brought you here. This also means they probably know you're still here."

"Well, I've been thinking as well," she said, sitting upright in her chair, "I don't think they brought me here. If they knew you lived here, wouldn't they have waited until you found me, and then killed you straight away? I think Kevin brought me here. I've been trying so hard to remember everything that happened that night and I specifically recall them apparating me back to the warehouse, where I was to meet Kevin. I think he brought me here. I think he has been following me for a long time. I mean, he knew where I lived, or else he wouldn't have been able to contact me in the first place. He knew where I worked. He knew about what happened in the alley. I think it all points back to him."

He sat on the arm of her chair and said, "So, you were always contacted by him, never the other way around?" She nodded her head yes.

"I think he set this whole thing up, but I'm not sure why. Though, I do think that he did it to draw you out somehow," she finally stated.

Draco wasn't as convinced, and he had never told her about the note that was attached to her blouse the night she was dropped off at his doorstep. "How would he know that I'd be in that restaurant the same night as you and that Death Eater? How did he know that I'd find you two in the alley?" Draco quizzed.

"I met with Meyers at that restaurant on his suggestion. He's the one that said I should pick a public place, and he even suggested that specific restaurant. Maybe he knew you might be there. Also, after I left the restaurant, I was supposed to meet Kevin, in that very alley, but he didn't show up, instead, Meyers did," she explained.

Draco stood up and raised his hands in the air. "Why are you just now telling me this?" he yelled. "Don't you think that's an important bit of information? Don't you think if I had known that, I would have suggested that you not meet the bastard?" Draco was now standing over her, bellowing down at her. "Do you have a death wish, Granger? Didn't it dawn on you that he was playing you for a fool? Hell, he probably suggested to you that you bring me along that night. That's probably why you asked me to come!"

Now it was her turn to be indignant. She stood up, the best she could, and rounded on him and shouted, "You saw his note! He didn't suggest I bring you. I asked you to come because I was afraid to meet him myself, because frankly, I was beginning to question his intentions!" She was shaking, and had turned very pale. This was the longest she had stood since her recovery.

He pushed her back in the chair, none to lightly, and replied, "Sit the hell down, Granger, before you faint or something. I have to think." He paced the room. He suddenly stood ramrod straight for a moment, as if the proverbial light bulb went off over his head, and stormed out of the room. He appeared moments later with a bag, his cloak, and his wand. "We're getting out of here, right now," he said.

"Why are we leaving all of the sudden? I thought you said we were safe here. Anyway, I don't have any of my things. All I have is my wand and the clothes I had on the night I was attacked," she answered.

Before she could argue anymore, he grabbed her arm and disapparated. She felt the faint feeling of compression that a person feels when they sidelong apparate. When they got to their location, she felt confused and grossly aware that she was somewhere she did not want to be. They were at Malfoy Manor.

As if sensing her reluctance, he said, "We'll only be here a few moments. I need to get some money and supplies. Sit down." He pointed to a nearby chair. When he returned, true to his words, only a few moments later, he reached for her arm again, but she pulled away.

"Tell me where we're going!" she cried as she stood next to him.

"I think it's better if you don't know that right now," he told her plainly.

He reached for her arm again, and she actually smacked his hand away. He reached for her the third time, and she balled up her fist and hit his shoulder. Even though it was a weak and pathetic punch, he thought, 'not bloody well likely'. Therefore, he put both hands around her waist and they disappeared.

Hermione opened her eyes. She knew this place very well. Very well indeed. She was at her parents' house, the house in which she grew up. How did he know where her parents' lived? He was getting so adept at reading her thoughts, that he answered her before she could speak. "I went to your flat after your attack. I got the address from your wallet. I looked around for any information on the group you were writing about, and I came upon a birthday card from your parents. That's how I knew where they lived."

"They're in France right now. They're not even here," Hermione told him.

"That's even better. I think we'll be safe here for a few days. I take it you have already put numerous protection spells on the place," he deduced.

"I thought I had on my flat as well, but you managed to sneak in there," she said with a sneer.

She sat on the couch. She was tired and in pain. "Did you bring my pain medicine?" she asked. He gave her a look that meant, 'are you daft, of course I brought your medicine,' and he opened his bag and threw it at her. He sat down beside her and put his feet up on the coffee table.

"Do you mind removing your feet?" she chided.

He made a point of huffing as he removed each foot. Then she said, "Malfoy, surely someone at your work, or one of your friends, will notice you're missing as well. Don't you think that it will seem a bit conspicuous if we're both missing? I think both the Ministry and the Mud Ones will notice that."

"I don't have friends, only acquaintances, and I told them at my work that I was taking an extended leave. I'm the boss and owner, you know? So, no, I don't think anyone will miss me." When he finished explaining this to her, the thought that no one would miss him, even if he fell off the ends of the earth, made him feel melancholy and angry at the same time.

Now, as though she was sensing his thoughts, she reached out her hand to touch his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He didn't need her sympathy. He stood up and said, "Do Muggles have food?"

"You are a moron," she came back. "Of course Muggles have food. However, since my parents live half the year in France, and half in England, and at the moment they are there and not here, I seriously doubt there's much food in the cupboards." She tried to stand, but he walked up to her and more gently this time, pushed her back down.

"I'll go check, Granger, just stay there," he told her as he started to walk out of the living room.

As he walked toward a door, she yelled, "That's the den!" He turned back around and smirked at her with his hands on his hips. She pointed toward a hallway, and said, "Second door on the right."

He strolled the way she just pointed and mumbled under his breath, "Thank you, now was that so hard?" She thought to herself, 'prat'.

He came back into the living room with a bottle of wine and some crackers, and some canned pears, which he left in the can. He had two forks, he sat next to her, and said, "Tuck in," and he handed her one of the forks.

"Surely there was more food than this. Let me go see."

She made to get up again, and he put his hand on her arm and said, "There was more, but we might be here a few days, and we should ration our food. We can't very well go to the market, now can we?" She saw the reason in this and concurred.

"You could have put the pears in a bowl," she said, as if she was explaining something foreign to him.

"Just eat," he said.

"I mean, it's not like there's going to be a shortage of dishes, now is there?" she said.

"Shut up and eat," he said again.

"Seriously, even if there was only one bowl in the whole house, we could still use it. There's this thing called a sink where you can wash your dishes," she rattled.

He made a loud grunt, went back to the kitchen, and came back to the living room with not one bowl, but two. He put part of the canned pears in one bowl, and the other half in the other, and handed one bowl to her and said, "Will you shut up now?"

She smiled and didn't say another word. They continued to eat in silence. While they ate she had two glasses of wine, and with the pain potion she took earlier, she felt gradually more lethargic, and she fell back on the sofa. He was on the other end, reading a magazine, and he looked over at her as she lay down. She turned to her side, so her back was against the sofa pillows. He looked at her as she started to fall asleep. She really was very pretty. He always thought as much. He had never expressed those thoughts to anyone. He still couldn't. His eyes moved down her slumbering body. He remembered the day he helped her shower. Now that he could think about it more clearly, she had a very beautiful body as well.

She shivered slightly, and he took the throw that was on the back of the couch, and put it over her legs. She stretched out further, as if in complete and utter comfort, and she put her feet, which at the moment were bare, in his lap. He smiled at himself. This was somewhat nice. Was this what it would feel like if he had a wife or girlfriend? Would they sit around on the couch on a lazy afternoon, after eating lunch, and feel so comfortable with each other that they would drape their bodies over one another. He felt a pang of desire. Not sexual desire. Just general desire. One could even call it envy. He looked back at her sweet face; sleeping, peaceful, not talking, (he smiled at that last thought) and he pulled the cover down more to cover her feet in his lap, and put one of his hands on top of her legs, and picked his magazine back up with the other hand and continued to read.

(Coming up in Chapter 6: Kevin finds Hermione and Draco; and things are not at all what they appear.)


	6. 6 Dilemma

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 6: Dilemma:**

Draco knew that when Hermione finally woke up from her nap, she might be disoriented, because the room was bound to be considerably darker, since it was considerably later. He didn't want her to be concerned that he had left her, or even maybe try to come find him, so he knew he should go back down to her soon.

However, right now, Malfoy was taking the opportunity to snoop around the house while Hermione was sleeping. He was upstairs in what he could only assume was her childhood bedroom, and he was looking at a scrapbook of sorts. It had pictures in it; wizard pictures and the non-moving Muggle type; as well as her report cards, and certificate of achievements, and other such childhood things. He finished looking at the book and threw it on the floor. He walked over to the bookshelf and picked up a little brown stuffed bear. He threw it over his shoulder. "Please treat Mr. Bear with a little more respect, Malfoy." He turned around and saw Hermione at the door, out of breath, and clutching her side. He rushed over to her and helped her to the bed.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" she inquired.

Deciding to be honest, he said, "snooping."

"Ah," she answered. He picked up the bear he had thrown and handed it to her on the bed. She gave the little bear a hug, which made him smile, and then she threw it over the side of the bed, where it landed on the floor. He bent over to pick it up again.

"Please treat Mr. Bear with more respect, Granger," he mocked her and put the little bear back on the shelf. He turned back around, and she was still clutching her side. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I feel rotten," she moaned.

He walked up to her and put his hand on her head. She had a raving fever. What if she had an infection of some sort? The healer said that could be a possibility. Malfoy knew he had pushed her too far today. He made her exert herself too much. The healer gave him some potions just in case she might get an infection from her internal injuries. He ran downstairs to his bag to retrieve the medicine.

When he got down there, he looked and looked and even dumped the entire contents of the bag on the sofa, put there was no vials of potion. Damn. He remembered her pain medicine, but not the others. As he mentally kicked himself, he heard her hoarse voice feebly yell out, "Draco."

He ran up the stairs. She looked awful. She was sweating, but had chills. He had to go back and get that medicine. It would be a terrible risk, but a risk he simply had to take.

"Hermione, I need to go back to my flat and get your other potions. I forgot to pack them, and you really need that medicine. I think you have an infection."

Her eyes closed, she said, "Please don't leave me. I'm afraid to be here by myself." He ran out of the room, slammed her door, and cast a spell on her the bedroom door, so that no one could enter but him. He could still hear her call out, "Please, don't leave me." His insides felt like they were being ripped to shreds, as she pleaded with him not to leave her, but he had to leave. It was for Hermione's own good.

He disapparated right there on the spot, and ended up in the guestroom at his flat, where he knew the medicine was. He took a quick look around to make sure he didn't forget anything else. He started to apparate back to her house, when someone hit him with a stunning spell, and he fell over, and blacked out.

When he came to, he was bound, magically, and was lying on his living room sofa. He looked around and he saw a dark haired man sitting on one of his chairs, holding two wands, one of which he knew was his own.

"Where's Hermione, Malfoy?" the man asked.

"Who the hell are you?" Draco asked. The man unbound him, and Draco sat up, but did not dare move with two wands pointed at him.

"You would know me as Kevin Riley. I know Hermione probably told you all about me. Now, tell me where the hell you've taken her," the man said as he stood, facing Draco.

"Go to hell and back again you fucking son of a bitch," Draco responded.

The man put the tip of his wand between Draco's eyes. "I'm through playing games. Just tell me if she's safe. I want to know that they didn't get her."

"What the hell do you care?" Draco spat. "It's your fault that she was hurt. You've been playing her like a violin since you met her."

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" the man yelled.

"She's safe and away from you, you bloody wanker!" Malfoy yelled back. In truth, he hoped that she was safe. He locked her in a room that only he would be able to enter, and she was sick and maybe dying as they spoke.

"None of this turned out right. None of this turned out like I planned," the man said, more to himself, as he sat down.

"Tell me what you mean!" Draco demanded, now intrigued.

"I've been undercover, working as a member of the Mud Ones for nine months. I'm a Muggle-born, who works for the Ministry, in a little know department called 'Special Intelligence Affairs'. Even upper members of the Ministry don't know of our existence. Neither do most members of the Auror Department." The man stood back up and started pacing around the room like a caged animal. Malfoy didn't say a word. He decided to let the man talk.

"The real Kevin Riley really did contact Hermione, wanting to feed her information about the Mud Ones. He was reconsidering his association with the group. He believed that all former Death Eaters, but not their heirs, should be rounded up and made to pay for their crimes, but he wasn't comfortable with the violence that was ensuing. He talked to me at length about this, and that he wanted out. He believed me to be member of the Mud Ones, and I pretended to have second thoughts as well, so he would confide in me. He told me he had already contacted someone at the Ministry, and now he was going to contact someone from the press, and he was going to stop them, if he could."

"What he didn't realize was that I was the person to whom he had originally contacted at the Ministry, and Hermione was the person he contacted in the press. I oblivated his memory, right there and then, and sent him under protective custody. I had already infiltrated the organization as a Muggle-born named Ian Michaels. Nevertheless, Miss Granger didn't know my pseudonym, so to her I became Kevin Riley."

"Why did you put her in danger?" Draco asked.

"I tried to do everything in my power to keep her from danger. I found out that a former Death Eater was trying to contact her, pretending to be an Auror, so I arranged for them to meet where I knew you would be. I couldn't openly protect her, because I would blow my cover, but I thought she would see you there, and she would go to you for help, since you were familiar to her, and also since she knew you were in danger from the information I fed her. But, everything got mucked up. The real Aurors were called, and I had to arrange for them to back off, and then little did I know that Dolohov would find Hermione in the place where she was supposed to meet me. I got there, but it was too late. He was already cursing you when I arrived, and then Hermione picked up your wand and killed him."

"I still couldn't blow my cover, and I saw you two disapparate, so I thought she would be safe with you. I made arrangement to meet her again, to actually persuade her to back off, because I thought she was in too much danger, however, the Mud Ones followed me to the warehouse; I think for some reason they no longer trusted me. They cursed me, and then they left with her. When they returned to the warehouse, and I saw what they did to her, I knew this was more than one agent could handle. I brought her to your doorstep, and I went back to the Ministry and told them my cover was blown. I told them everything that I had found out, and that you both were in danger. I'm the one that put the note on her. I wanted to scare you both enough to make you stay in hiding. Please Malfoy, tell me where she is. It's my fault she's hurt. I need to know she's alright."

"What a load of rubbish!" Draco vented to the man, "How do I know what you're telling me now is real? You could just be trying to get to her."

"You're a smart man," the agent said, "I have proof." He walked to Malfoy's fireplace, and called out, "Potter."

Soon, Harry Potter appeared out of Draco's fireplace. "Where's Hermione?" Harry asked as he rushed to Draco.

"You mean you knew she was in all this danger all along, and you did nothing?" Draco screamed at Harry. "You disgust me; she's supposed to be your best friend, and you used her."

"I didn't know about any of this until I went to the Minister of Magic and demanded they try to find Hermione, and that was when I was told the whole story. I wanted to come here to find her at that time, but the Ministry assured me that your flat was well protected, and that she was safe. Why did you leave your flat?" Harry asked.

Draco was beginning to wonder that himself. "Listen, she's alone right now. She's at her parents' house. She's very ill. I came back here to get her medicine. We have to stop all this talking, and go to her this instant," Draco said squarely. Then he added, "You know, if someone had just clued me in on a few things, then maybe I would have known not to leave here."

"Yeah well, the last time I tried to talk to you, you wouldn't listen to me," Harry clamored back to him. "Let's go find Hermione."

Draco grabbed his wand, and disappeared on the spot, leaving Harry to

apparate with the fake Kevin. He appeared right outside her bedroom door, and said the unlocking spell to release the locking charm. He ran in, and she appeared to be sleeping, but she may have been unconscious. Potter and the Ministry agent appear right behind him. "What's wrong with her?" Harry asked with concern.

"Ask your little coworker there. It's his fault she's in this state," Draco retorted. Then he put the medicine vial up to her lips, and tried to give her some, spilling more than he was sure she took. He sat down on the bed next to her, and held her hand.

Potter came up and held her other hand, while kneeling on his knees next to the bed. The other dark haired man stood at the foot of her bed, cursing himself for letting this happen to her. Unbeknownst to Hermione, she was surrounded by three men, each whom loved her in their own way.

(Coming up in Chapter 7, Harry takes Hermione and Draco to a safe house, but how safe is it?)


	7. 7 Decisions

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 7: Decisions:**

It was early dawn. Draco had no idea the exact time, but the sky had that pinkish, purplish hue that comes with the rising sun. It was unseasonably cold. It was still too early in the year for a proper frost, but a sprinkling of frost hovered over the blades of grass, nonetheless.

Potter and Bruno Martini, for that was the fake Kevin's real name, took Draco and Hermione to a safe house shortly after they arrived back at her parents' house. They were whisked away like spirits in the night. Hermione slept through the whole ordeal. She was still sleeping. She had no idea they had removed her from her childhood home.

This so-called 'safe house' was little more than a shack. A hovel. Potter called it a cabin. Draco called it a one-room hellhole. There were one bed, two chairs, a table, a fireplace, (which they were told they could not light) and a cabinet that was at least well stocked with food. There was a small sink and a cook stove on the far end of the main room. There was a small bathroom off the main room, but it was little more than an outhouse. There was no shower. Martini assured Draco that they would only have to be here for a day at the most. He said there were powerful charms protecting the house. He told Draco not to do any magic, because that could be traced.

So, there they were.

Draco heard Hermione stirring. Potter, and whatever his name was, had both gone before dawn. He was glad. He didn't want them here. They left when Hermione's fever broke. Draco walked over to the bed from the chair he was in and put his hand on her face. She opened her eyes and said, "Hi."

"Hi," he answered back, and then added, "You gave us quite a scare."

"Who is 'us', Malfoy?" she inquired.

"Potter and the man you know as Kevin Riley, aka Bruno Martini. He's an undercover agent for the Ministry, and he had infiltrated that terrorist group that you were investigating. I'll tell you more about it later," he decided.

"Could you get me some water?" she asked. He left her bedside, got a glass and some water, came back to the bed, and handed it to her. She took a tentative drink, and then put her head back down on the pillow.

"Where are we?" she asked calmly, almost as if she wasn't surprised that they were no longer at her house. He decided to explain everything to her. Well, he would at least explain the parts of the story that he knew. She appeared almost serene after hearing what Draco thought was a rather outlandish story.

Then, unexpectedly, she asked, "Did you find anything interesting while you were snooping in my room?"

He found that to be an odd thing to inquire, and an odd time to ask, so he smiled and told her, "I found a charming pair of black lace knickers in one of your dresser drawers."

"No you didn't. I don't own any black lace knickers," she answered with a smile.

"They might have been your mum's," he volleyed back to her.

"Or maybe my dad's," she lobbed back to him.

He smiled again and sat on the bed beside her. "We aren't safe anymore, are we, Malfoy?" she asked, intuitively knowing that was the one thing that he was having trouble telling her.

"The Ministry has arranged for us to stay here for the time being, which is protected by a very strong Fidelus charm. We'll only be here a few days. Everything will be fine," he told her. He felt he was being deceitful to her. He did think they were in a great deal of danger.

She asked, "Then where will we go?"

He shrugged.

"This place is a dump," she stated, as she sat up in bed.

"My sentiments, exactly," he said with a smile.

"Is there a bathroom here, or do we go in the woods?" she asked, bringing her legs around the side of the bed.

"There's an outhouse out back, I'll show you," he joked.

"An outhouse! Couldn't they have at least taken us to a house with running water?" she exclaimed, believing him.

"There's a bathroom. I was joking, but it's only a slight step up from an outhouse. Oh, and don't worry, there's plenty of bowls here. I know how much you like dishes. There's even a sink in which to wash them," he smirked.

It took her a second to realize he was making a joke at her expense, but she didn't care in the least. She stood up, and swayed for a moment. He stood beside her and offered her his arm. They walked arm in arm to the little bathroom. She asked him if they brought her any clean clothes. He went over to get her some and handed them to her. She went in the bathroom and shut the door. He walked over to the cabinet, to find them something to eat. All of the sudden he heard her scream.

He ran to the bathroom and opened the door. She stood there, clutching her shirt, but completely naked except for a pair of underwear. He looked at her and yelled, "WHAT! What's wrong?"

She seemed to be oblivious to her semi-nude state, as she pointed to a rather larger spider in the corner of the little room.

"Are you kidding me?" he almost shouted, "I thought you were being murdered." He turned to leave.

"Kill the spider for me!" she said as she tried to cover herself more.

"No, kill it yourself," he said, still walking away from her.

She put her shirt on quickly, sans bra, and walked to the doorway. "Please, Malfoy, I don't feel well. Just kill the damn bug."

He walked back in the room, smacked the spider with his bare hand, wiped it on the wall, and said, "Are you going to use your injuries as an excuse for everything? You helped take down Voldemort, for Merlin's sake." He walked out and shut the door. Then he grinned to himself. He liked killing that spider for her. Silly as it may seem. It made him feel needed. It's what men did for women. They killed bugs for them.

She came out a moment later, dressed, but in a rather sour mood. She walked gingerly back over to the bed and lay down on her side, with her face away from Malfoy.

He walked up to her and told her he had her potions ready, so she should come sit at the table and take her medicine, and then eat the breakfast he prepared.

She told him to go to hell.

He told her he would see her there.

She told him he was a git.

He told her she was a know-it all, bookworm.

She told him he was a prick.

He told her he was ashamed of her for using such vulgar language.

She started to cry.

He started to wonder what the hell was going on, because he thought they were having a bit of fun; lively banter back and forth. No wonder he didn't have a girlfriend. He couldn't figure out women.

"Don't cry, Granger," he said as he sat on the bed and touched her arm, "I don't really want you to go to hell, and you aren't that much of a 'know it all, bookworm'." There, that should make her feel better. Why was she still crying?

"What have I gotten us into, Malfoy?" she asked as she turned around to face him. "We're wanted by a terrorist group, we're forced to stay in this god-forsaken place, and it's entirely my fault. You're right. You shouldn't have gotten involved." She had tears on her face. He took his shirttail and wiped them from her cheeks.

"Granger, you're such a ninny sometimes. You didn't get me involved. This group apparently had me targeted from the beginning. In fact, if you hadn't called my attention to the existence of this group, I might already be dead. Plus, we'll get out of this alive. Everything will be fine. Let's stop hashing out all of these unpleasant matters." He patted her head as if she was a child, and then offered her his hand. "Now, come to the table and take your potions and eat your breakfast."

After they ate, she went back to sleep and he merely roamed around the room. There were a few books and a deck of Muggle cards. That was the extent of their entertainment. He was half-tempted to wake Granger up, so he could have some company, but she was still recovering and probably needed her sleep. Of course, if she woke up on her own, that was a different story.

He deliberately dropped one the books on the floor and it made a loud thump. She turned to her other side, with her eyes still closed. 'This might be a challenge', he thought.

He walked around the room and tipped one of the kitchen chairs over. She sighed and rolled to her back. Still asleep. He looked around, and went over to the bed and sat next to her. What could he do now? He was shocked when she spoke to him; be it under the ruse of still being asleep with tightly closed eyes; but she asked, "What are you going to do to try to wake me up now, smother me with a pillow?"

He grinned, an evil grin, and grabbed the pillow out from under her head. This made her eyes opened. She put up her hands and said, "I was joking! Don't you dare smother me."

He laughed and said, "I don't have to smother you to make you stop pretending to be asleep. I merely had to suggest it, and now you appear to be wide awake."

"What do you want?" she said, muffling a yawn. "I'm tired. I'm still recovering you know."

"I'm bored."

She told him, "Well, I'm not an activities director, so go figure out something to do on your own. I heard you drop a book earlier. Read." She shut her eyes again.

'What's an activities director?' he wondered. He watched her continue to pretend to sleep, because that was what she was doing, pretending, every once in a while, her eyelids would flutter. He bent closer. She had a very nice mouth, quite kissable. Kissing could help pass the time. He thought that maybe he should suggest that to her and that would wake her up. Before he could say anything, she opened her eyes and said, "If you promise to stop staring at me, I'll talk to you for a while, but you'll have to lie beside me on the bed. I'm not joking when I say that I feel quite tired."

Now he felt guilty. He got up from the bed and said, "You rest. I'll go read." He picked up the book he threw earlier and went to sit on the fireplace hearth.

Now she was staring at him. He was painfully aware of the fact and he put his book down. "Do you need something?" he asked with an air of annoyance.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked.

Was he being nice to her? He wasn't aware. He would have to stop being nice immediately. He thought all of this, and wanted to say it aloud to her, but he couldn't. The reason he couldn't? He wanted to be nice. "UGH!" he said throwing the book again.

"What was that all about?" she said with a smile.

"I had some perfectly wonderful, witty comebacks to your little question, but I didn't say them because I did indeed want to be nice. What's happening to me?" he asked her as he walked over to the bed again and sat back down.

"Maybe you like me," she said.

"I don't think that's it," he said, turning on the bed so he had his back to her. She put her hand on his back and his skin under his shirt felt like it was on fire. He actually flinched, and she removed her hand quickly.

"So, you don't like me?" she said, seeming a bit hurt.

"I like you," he said softly, almost under his breath, with his back still to her. He wouldn't have flinched at her touch if he didn't like her. She moved over to the other side of the bed, and without invitation, he laid down next to her. He turned to face her.

"Do you like me as much as you like chocolate?" she asked with a grin.

"No, because you're not as sweet," he smiled back.

"Do you like me as much as you like yourself?" she inquired.

"Much more," he answered honestly. She would think he was joking, but he was telling the truth. "Go back to sleep, Granger, you're interrupting my reading." He got off the bed, retrieved his book, and lay back down beside her. She shut her eyes again. He stole a quick glance at her. He liked her very much.

(Coming up in Chapter 8, Draco and Hermione are separated, and Draco isn't happy at all.)


	8. 8 Divided

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 8: Divided:**

They were told they would only have to be at the damn cabin for a day, maybe two at the most. Now, five days later, there was still no word from Potter or Martini, and they were still stuck at the cabin. There was no word from the outside world at all. Draco was told to make sure they stayed in the cabin, so he didn't go outside. Not once. Hermione was feeling the same anxieties, pent up emotions, and apprehensions that Draco was feeling. She was beginning to wonder if they had forgotten about them. She expressed as much to Draco on the afternoon of their fifth day.

"Do you think we should just go; I mean, leave here? I feel like we've been forgotten. We're cut off from everyone and everything. We're not allowed to do magic. It's like we're sitting ducks, and I don't like it, not one bit." Hermione looked out the window as she spoke.

Draco felt the same way, but he was tired of being the voice of reason every time she brought this subject up, which had been at least four times a day since they got here. His usual response was, "No, we should stay put," but today he was in a foul mood, and while he agreed with her that they should probably just pick up and leave, he didn't voice that opinion. Instead, he said, "What would you like us to do, Hermione? Just go out there and say, 'here we are, come and get us'?" He stood up and walked over to the window, where she was still peering out and grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. "Anyway, what do you want me to do about it all? I don't like being here anymore than you do, maybe even less. This place may be a step up for you, but believe me, I'm used to more creature comforts than this!"

She wormed out of his grasp and with sarcasm said, "Would you prefer if I just stop talking?"

"Yes, Granger, that would be lovely. Shut your effing mouth." Draco went up to the table and kicked the chair in anger.

Hermione went over, picked up the Muggle deck of cards, and sat down with them. "Do you want to play a game?" she asked crossly.

She had asked him that same question every day for the last three days. Each day he told her no. Why should today be any different? He walked up to her, grabbed the deck of cards out of her hands, and threw them across the room.

"Is that a no?" she asked.

"I'M GOING CRAZY IN HERE!" Draco screamed with an ear-piercing cry.

Hermione stood up and went to the bathroom. She slammed the door. He knew she did that frequently, going into the bathroom just to get away from him. Well, tormenting her at the moment was at least giving him something less mundane to do than just sitting and staring at the same four walls, so he would not be deterred. She couldn't just walk out on him. He walked to the bathroom door, opened it wide, just as she was in the process of undressing. "GET OUT!" she screamed.

He was about to leave in embarrassment, but decided, 'this could be fun'; "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," he leered.

"I mean it, Malfoy, get out of here!" she tried to push him out. She only had on her underwear and bra, and she had a small towel held up in front of her, from where she was washing up in the sink.

"I have to go to the loo," Malfoy said nonchalantly.

"GET OUT!" she screamed for the second time, even louder.

He didn't know why he was tormenting her so. It was just something to do. He turned around to the toilet, unzipped his pants, and started to urinate with her still in the bathroom.

She screamed some obscenities, ran out of the bathroom, and slammed the door shut. Just as she was entering the main room she saw Kevin, or rather, Bruno, sitting on the kitchen table.

"Are you two having fun in there?" he asked with a frown.

She was suddenly aware of her state of undress, and she tried in vain to put the towel around her, but it was too small, so she just kept it in front of her.

"You have got to get us out of here! He's driving me crazy," Hermione told him. Just then, Draco came sauntering out of the bathroom. He was shocked to see Martini.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Draco asked, "No, let me amend that question; why the hell weren't you here days ago?" Then he turned to Hermione and said, "Go get dressed, Granger, no one here wants to see your jiggly parts." She pushed him, hard, into the wall and went back into the bathroom.

After she closed the door, Bruno said, "I don't mind seeing her jiggly parts." That declaration made Draco angry as hell, for some unknown reason. Then Bruno said, "So, I guess Hermione's feeling better?"

"Are you really here to talk about Granger's health? Should we talk about the weather next? Or how about, when the hell are we getting out of here?" Draco fumed.

Hermione came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, and Bruno jumped down off the table. "Malfoy, why don't you go outside for a moment, I need to explain some things to Hermione, in private."

"I thought we couldn't go outside," Draco waned.

"Yes, well, now you can, so please, if you don't mind." The dark haired man went to the door of the little cabin, opened it and motioned for Draco to leave. Draco didn't totally trust the man, but he went outside anyway.

He stood by the window and peered through the glass. He could see Martini and Hermione talking. He was probably telling her about how he lied to her, and please, please forgive him. What a load of shite. Draco saw Bruno embrace Hermione. Was she actually falling for his act?

Martini came back to the door after a torturous fifteen minutes and told Draco to come back inside the cabin. "It's your lucky day. You guys are leaving here," Bruno told them.

"Have they got any more news on the whereabouts of the Mud Ones?" Hermione asked.

"We're very close. I'm sorry that I didn't come back sooner. I've been knee deep in it all, you know." He smiled at Hermione. She smiled back. Draco thought he looked like the world's biggest wanker. He wanted to wipe that smile right off his face.

Bruno told them he was going to apparate to the next location, to make sure everything was ready, and he would be right back. Before he apparated away, he held Hermione's hand and said, "See you later."

After Bruno left, Draco spun around and asked Hermione, "What the hell?"

"What?" she sincerely asked.

"So, he comes in here, says, sorry I lied to you, used you, and almost got you killed, and everything's fine?" Draco begged earnestly.

"Yes, everything's fine. He didn't mean for me to get hurt," she told him.

"You're so naïve, Granger," Draco told her.

"No, I am not," she pouted.

"That man just wants in your pants," Draco said crudely.

"You're disgusting. Don't judge everyone by your standards, Malfoy," she said with an expression of scorn.

"I don't want in your pants," he gasped.

"That's not what I meant!" she yelled at him.

"What did you mean?" he yelled back.

"I meant, just because you deem all women as sexual objects, doesn't mean all men do," she explained.

"You know nothing about men. You're not just naïve, but unsophisticated as well. All men deem all women as sexual objects," he told her, as he stepped up to her closely.

"Well, you just said you don't want in my pants, so your theory has a hole in it, Malfoy," she said, taking another step closer to him, so they were almost nose to nose.

"Let me expand on my theory then. What I meant to say was, all men deem good-looking women as sexual objects. Therefore, you are excluded," he said to hurt her.

"Well, once again, you're not proving your own point very well, because if that statement's true, and I'm so undesirable, then why do you think HE is trying to get in my pants? Get your theories in order before you spout them off, or shut the hell up, Malfoy," Hermione said smugly.

She made him so angry. He was now walking in circles around her. He wanted to shake her, scream at her, or do something to her so badly! So, he walked up to her, grabbed her by the waist, pulled her to him, put one hand on the back of her neck and one he kept around her waist, and before she could protest, he kissed her soundly on the lips!

It was a kiss that lasted only a second or two, but when he pushed her away, she asked, "Is that suppose to prove your theory, you arsehole?"

He grabbed her again, and this time he assaulted her lips with brutality and passion. He held her the same as before and her hands were squarely on his chest. This time, the kiss lasted much longer than a few seconds. In fact, he was unsure what to do next; since kissing her did indeed mean his theory needed some work; so he just kept kissing her. In addition, there was an upside; he was actually enjoying himself.

He loosened his grip, just a bit, and her head tilted to the other side. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. He could also feel her breasts against his chest. She opened her mouth and he decided to advance his exploration. He found the sensation of her tongue dancing wildly with his an extremely erotic sensation. Perhaps the most erotic feeling he has had in a long time, and that included the last few times he had had sex.

Her hands went up to his hair, and he released her lips to kiss her neck. He kissed the long column from her ear to her collarbone. He licked his way back up. She tried to press her body closer to him, so he put one hand on the back of her leg and hooked it over his hipbone. He kept that hand on her bum. Soon, they were kissing each other everywhere, her delicate hands on his body, his rough hands on hers. They were brought out of their reverie by the sound of someone apparating into the cabin. They jumped apart, as if literally shocked, and Harry Potter stood there with his mouth open, like a fish.

"Um, are you ready to go, Draco?" Harry asked, with a blush forming on his face.

"Yeah, I'm ready, are you, Hermione?" Draco asked, trying to act as if nothing had just occurred, as he also tried to hide his raging erection.

Hermione, who was pulling her shirt down, said, "Yes, I'm ready."

"No, you don't understand. Didn't Bruno tell you?" Harry began, "I'm just here to collect Malfoy. He's going to the new location. You need to wait here, Hermione, and Bruno will come get you later tonight. You're not going together."

"Why not?" Hermione asked, still not understanding. Draco, however, thought he understood what Potter was trying to say perfectly.

"We aren't going to be at the same location, are we?" Malfoy asked.

"No, you're not," Harry answered.

"No, Harry. I really don't understand." Hermione rushed up to him.

"The Auror Department, along with the Special Intelligence Department, feels that Draco is at the biggest risk, so he's being taken to a high security location. We think you're not really in danger anymore, Hermione, so you get to go home, but you'll still have a 24 hour guard," Harry told her.

She looked at Draco, then at Harry, then back at Draco. In her eyes, he could tell that she was imploring him to do something. It was apparent to Draco she didn't know what to say. Harry took the moment of silence to speak again, "Anyway, when Bruno just got back to Headquarters, he said you two were fighting like cats and dogs, and you couldn't wait to get away from each other, so this would be a better arrangement, don't you agree?" Harry said, again with a blush.

Hermione sat on the bed and put her hands up to her face. Draco sat next to her. "I'll be fine. You'll be fine," Draco said, less than touchingly. He really didn't know what else to say to her. He wanted to say that he would miss her terribly and that he would see her soon. He also wanted to tell Potter, Martini, and all of them to go to hell, and just let him take care of himself. That way, he could stay with her if he wanted. But, he had a little bit of common sense. He could see the rationale of their thinking. He only wished he had thought of kissing her days ago. That would have been a pleasant way to pass the time.

"Come on, Malfoy," Harry said, "you'll have to side-a-long, since you don't know where we're going." Malfoy went to stand next to Harry, and Hermione suddenly rushed up to both of them. She hugged Harry goodbye first, and then, with a bit more apprehension, and a lot more awkwardness, she hugged Draco.

She took a step back from him and said, "Take care of yourself, and thanks for taking care of me." She looked so sad standing there by herself.

"Come on, Malfoy, take my arm," Harry said impatiently.

Draco gave Harry a dirty look over his shoulder, and he rushed up to Hermione. He had taken care of her. He felt that gave him some ownership over her. He wanted to continue to take care of her and he NEEDED to continue to take care of her. They stood closely next to each other, neither speaking, neither moving, until he finally put both hands on her cheeks. Then he bent his head and gave her a kiss. He moved his lips against hers, and pulled away, only to move back in once more, for another. Then he said, "You take care as well. I'll see you soon, I promise." Then he took Potter's arm and apparated away.

(Coming up in Chapter 9, Hermione is the one in true danger.)


	9. 9 Distrust

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 9: Distrust:**

As soon as Draco became oriented to his surrounding, he found that he was back at his own apartment. He was confused. Wasn't he supposed to go to a high security-hiding place? He looked over at Potter, who looked very guilty indeed.

"Why am I at my own apartment?' Draco requested.

"Sorry to lie to you, Malfoy," Harry stated, "I was going to take you to the safe house, but I couldn't. I thought you would rather come here, especially when I tell you everything I know."

Draco was curious. He was also worried. What about Hermione? "Where is Martini taking Hermione?" Draco asked.

"He really is supposed to take her to her house. I'm sure that is what he'll do. She'll be safe for the time being," Harry explained. "The head of Special Intelligence Affairs contacted my boss, the head of the Auror's Department, a couple of days ago. It seems that Bruno was not the only agent undercover in the Mud Ones. Unbeknownst to Bruno, this other agent was able to uncover much more about the organization than Bruno ever did. The fact of the matter is, he uncovered more than we could hoped."

Harry continued, "It appears that Bruno was holding out on us. His brother, Robert Martini, is the know ringleader and founder of the Mud Ones. Our intelligence shows that Death Eaters killed their mother, father, and little sister, during the reign of Voldemort. We have reasons to believe, however, that Bruno was sincere in his efforts to want to stop his brother and this group. He just ended up playing both sides against the other, and it got too much for him. We believe his brother probably felt he was loyal to them, and we thought he was loyal to the Ministry. When he was pulled off the case, the Ministry thought they would find out his true loyalty. The other undercover agent told us Bruno hadn't been in contact with his brother, or anyone else from the group, since he was taken off the case. Therefore, we assumed he was loyal to us."

"This is all completely fascinating Potter, but what about Hermione?" Draco said franticly, "How do we know that he hasn't hand delivered her to this group by now?"

"He's not aware that we're privy to all this information, and he's being closely followed. We have to try to find where they're hiding, and we hope that Bruno will lead us to them," Harry stated with an air of indifference.

"Again, I ask, how do we know he won't hand deliver Hermione to them?" Draco asked. Then he realized. That was what they wanted. The Ministry, and Potter himself; they were using Hermione as bait. As soon as this realization came to him, he said, "Potter, you fucking bastard. You want him to turn over Hermione. You're putting her life in danger to find this fucking group!"

"Draco," Harry began, "Hermione is perfectly safe. They are being followed by half of the Auror Department."

"What does all of this have to do with the fact that I was brought here, instead of to the safe house?" Draco asked again.

"Bruno made arrangements for you to be placed at the safe house. I was afraid that perhaps he would be less than honest, and you might not be safe there, so I took it upon myself to bring you here instead," Harry told him.

"I'm probably not safe here!" Draco yelled. "It just occurred to me, Martini got into my flat the night I came back here for Hermione's medicine. How did he accomplish that? I had wards and charms up that would only allow me to apparate or disapparate in and out; unless my floo connection was opened without my knowledge."

"You're floo connection was opened, if you remember. That's how I got here that night," Harry responded.

Draco was trying desperately to figure out how that man got into his flat, not that any of that mattered at that moment. What mattered, really mattered, was finding Hermione.

"Potter, can we please go and see if Granger's all right?" Draco pleaded.

"I really think you should stay here," Harry said.

"Unless I'm under arrest, I still have my freedom, and I'll do what I want," Draco argued.

Harry nodded to Draco, they both ran back to Draco's fireplace, and Harry said, "Let's go see if she's at her flat."

The two men went to Hermione's flat, but she wasn't there. They went back to the little cabin, but it was of no avail; still no Hermione. They went to the other safe house location; the one Draco was to be taken, and still couldn't find her. Harry told Draco to go back to his flat and Harry would alert the Ministry and the Auror's, and they would find her.

Draco tried to argue again, but he decided to let Potter have his way. He went back to his flat and waited.

How could he have left her behind? He was such an idiot. She counted on him to watch over her; keep her safe. He let her down.

He went out to his balcony, sat down, and watched the sun set in the evening sky. Where was Hermione? Why did he care so much? Had Draco Malfoy, former Slytherin, son of a Death Eater, all around bad man, actually fallen for a Muggle-born? Not just any Muggle-born: Hermione, "queen of the Mudbloods", Granger. Draco refused to accept that his feelings had anything to do with love. He didn't love her. He couldn't love her.

He stood back up and walked into his living room. He went and made himself a drink. He sat on a chair and stared into the open space in front of him. It was then that he had a startling revelation. It was at that exact moment that he decided if he couldn't be honest with himself, then he could never be honest with anyone. He loved her. He hung his head and shook it back and forth. How the hell had that happen?

He had felt restless for so long, almost to the point of distress. Like he had been waiting for something. The thing he was restlessly waiting for, could it have been Hermione?

Draco decided he had to go find her, even if he didn't have the faintest idea were to look. At that precise moment, Potter returned to Draco's flat by floo. "Draco, we received a message from the Mud Ones. It seems Bruno was working for them all along. They want an exchange. It's Hermione's life for yours."

"When?" Draco asked. He didn't know what else to ask. If he could give his life for hers that was what he would do.

"Tonight, at 10:00 pm. Draco, you don't have to do this. We can easily use polyjuice potion on one of the Auror, and make the exchange," Harry told him.

"I want to do this. My life doesn't mean anything if she's not safe," Draco told him.

"What are you saying, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"I love her," he said back simply.

Harry understood. He nodded his head. Then he told Draco, "I'll be back for you tonight."

When Harry left Draco's apartment, Draco looked at this watch, two more hours. The only thing he could have hope was that he might at least get to see her again. He wanted her at least to know how he felt about her. He sat down at his desk. He thought he would write a letter to her. He put quill to parchment, and started the letter, but when no words came, he balled the parchment up and threw it over his shoulder. Whom was he kidding? He wasn't some romantic sap that wrote love letters, poems, or sonnets. He had never been in love before. He had never had a real girlfriend before. He didn't know what to say to her. What could be said anyway? "Hey Granger, I love you, so what do you think about that?"

Draco wasn't even sure what love was. His parents loved him. He loved them back. However, what he felt for Granger wasn't the same.

He put his quill to the paper once more, and he wrote repeatedly, "I love her, I love her, I love her, I love her." He looked at that piece of paper and balled it up as well. He banged his hands on his desk and yelled, "I am a pathetic fool!" He put his quill to a piece of parchment for the third time, and the words almost erupted out of him:

_If you call, I'll be beside you,_

_If you cry, I'll wipe your tears._

_If you drown, I'll be your anchor,_

_If you're scared, I'll chase your fears._

_If you run, I will run beside you_

_If you're lost, I'll be your guide_

_If you sleep, I'll slumber by you,_

_If you live, I'll never die._

_If you fall, I will try to catch you,_

_If you want, my love is true._

_If you hide, I'll come to find you,_

_If you ask, that's what I'll do._

_If you promise to stay forever,_

_Then for you, I would give my life,_

_If you love me, I will never leave you,_

_If you love me, you will be my wife._

He looked at the words he had written. With a feeling of great sadness, he folded the piece of parchment over once, and then twice. He put it in his pocket.

At a quarter till 10 pm, Potter showed up. He said, "Are you sure about this Malfoy? You can still back down."

Draco, who felt he had aged ten years that day, shook his head no. Then he took the piece of parchment out of his pocket, and performed an enchantment on the paper, so that the words were invisible to anyone but Hermione. "If I die tonight, will you give this to Granger?" Draco asked, as he passed the piece of paper to Harry.

"You're not going to die. I'll make sure you both get out of there alive," Harry promised.

"Potter, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep. Just tell me if you will give this to her or not?" Draco asked, half-expecting Potter to refuse. Harry just held out his hand and took the paper from Draco.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my entire life," Draco riposted quickly.

"Hang on," Harry said as he grabbed Draco's arm. They apparated a way.

(Coming up in Chapter 10, Harry and Draco find Hermione.)


	10. 10 Desperate

**All characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 10: Desperate:**

Once upon a time, a long time ago, back when Draco was still in school, he recalled a time when Hermione Granger actually laughed at something he had said. He had made a joke in one of their classes, he didn't recall which class, or what the joke was, and while most of the Slytherins laughed out of obligation, and most of the Gryffindors smirked with disdain, but Granger actually laughed. She probably couldn't help herself, because he had always been so damn witty. Nevertheless, she laughed, and Draco remembered that Potty and Weasel gave her a funny look, and then they whispered something in her ear, and she bent her head and tried to hide her smile. She brought her head back up for only a second, and she made eye contact with Draco, and she smiled again. She smiled at him. She smiled so sweetly, and with such grace and poise. He would always remember that smile.

When she noticed Draco still looking at her, her smile turned to a frown. She looked away. She was probably afraid he would say something crass to her and call her a bad name. That's what he always did to her back then. If he recalled this particular memory correctly, that day he did smile back at her. He didn't want to be mean and cruel. He just wanted to smile back. He remembered that her frown became a smile once more, before she looked away for the final time. They shared a moment, that day, so long ago. She probably didn't even recall that anything had occurred between them. It probably was just a minor unpleasant incident to her, which didn't even deserve a place in her memory. For him, it was a moment when time stood still. In that split second and that cherished moment, he knew what it would be like to have her smile at him everyday of his life. He ached for that. He longed for that. He always thought he would never have that.

He was wrong. Now, here it was so many years later, and he actually got a chance to see what it would really feel like to have her smile at him, laugh at his joke, have him whisper in her ear. Draco wasn't going to let anyone take that from him. It was his right. He earned the right to love her, and to be loved by her.

Those were the thoughts that Draco Malfoy thought of as he stood outside an abandoned looking warehouse with Harry Potter and all the other Aurors, whom had graced them with their presence that day.

He just wanted to get this over with and he wanted to see her. Touch her. Kiss her. Maybe make her laugh again. "Malfoy, we need to go this way," Harry told him in hushed tones. He wasn't even aware he was walking. He wasn't aware that they had entered the warehouse. He was aware, however, that Harry's grip on his arm was tighter than ever. Just as he was about to turn around and tell the man to let go, he saw the reason Potter was holding him so tight.

Four men in long white robes with black mask, (How poetic, opposite of the Death Eaters, Malfoy thought) walked toward them. They levitated two lifeless forms behind them. One was Bruno Martini. The other was Hermione.

One of the masked men levitated the bodies to the middle of the warehouse. They looked dead. Granger had better not be dead. The same man said, "As soon as you give us the Death Eater, their magical binding will release, and you can take them out of here." Potter still had a death hold on Draco's arm.

"Let me go," Draco hissed.

Potter gave him a little shake of his head, with the intent being, "no."

One of the other Aurors said, "Let us see that they're alive, before we agree to give you Malfoy."

The man in the mask laughed. "Unlike Death Eaters, we don't kill our own. We admit to punishing them, when they do wrong, but we don't kill them. They're quite alive. They're merely in a catatonic state, which as I said, will be released as soon as we have the Death Eater, and we apparated out of here with him."

Neither side did or said anything. The mutual silence felt like it lasted an eternity. One of the other masked men finally took a few steps closer. "You don't trust us, Harry Potter. Why? We're just continuing the work that you yourself should have finished after you brought down Voldemort. All purebloods should be exterminated. That's why we work so hard. That's what we strive for, and that's what we'll obtain. Now take your little friend, and my treacherous brother, and give us Malfoy. I won't wait any longer." He then pointed his wand directly at Harry and Draco.

Draco didn't even know what happened next. All of the sudden, Potter apparated with Draco to a different location, and left him there. That was the reason why he hadn't released Draco's arm. Draco knew he was still in the warehouse. He heard shouts and screams, and the sounds of curses and hexes exchanged. It took Draco a second to get his bearings, and that's when he noticed he was on an upper floor of the warehouse. He looked around, and he was in a small room with a single door and no windows. There was a small window on the door, but it didn't let in much light. Draco tried to see out the window, but all he could see was green and red sparks from the battle, bouncing off the darkness beneath.

Damn Potter. He probably cost Granger her life. He wanted to do this for her. He would have done this for her, given his life for hers. It's the least he could do for her. After all, she once laughed at one of his jokes back in school.

Before he could contemplate what to do next, Potter reappeared, and this time he had Granger with him. She was shaking, and scared. Harry, who appeared out of breath, looked at Draco and said, "Martini's dead. Get her out of here. Go back to her parents' house. I made sure it was safe. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I can," and with that he disappeared.

Hermione stood there, staring at Draco. She looked shocked and forlorn. She looked like she couldn't move. She said, "Are you real?" What a stupid question. He rushed up to her and held her close to him. He held her so close they were almost one. He put his face in her hair. He kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled sweet. Even during a time like that, her hair smelled sweet.

He said, "What a stupid question, Granger. Of course, I'm real." She pulled away from him, and smiled. Before he realized what happened next, her lips came crashing down on his. He put his hands in her hair and his lips on hers; he tried to devour her very soul. He kissed her as if he was kissing her for the first time, or maybe the last time. He didn't know and didn't care. She moved her lips under his, and they did a time-honoured dance, that only those lucky few, whom have ever known real love, were able to dance. He kissed her because he loved her, he missed her, and he wanted her.

He pushed her up against a wall. He ran his hands up and down her body. He wasn't unaware of time and place. Never mind that there was a battle going on outside this little room. Draco had a battle going on in his mind. A battle he would win, the battle for Hermione Granger.

He moved one hand down her neck, and rested it on her shoulder. His lips continued to seek the peace she offered. She pulled her head from his, her mouth leaving his mouth, and put her hands on the sides of his face. She smiled at him again. Just like the smile she had offered him back in school. Then, she started to cry. He thought she was crying out of fear, or perhaps from gratitude. He would never know, because he would never ask, because didn't need to know. All he ever needed to know was right there in front of him.

She was in his arms, and all was finally right in his pitiful, lonely, little world. Suddenly, they were both brought back down to earth by the loud sound of the warehouse ceiling caving in. They rushed to the door and looked out the little window that was on top. "The world feels like it's coming to an end," she said metaphorically. They stood there, hand in hand, body next to body, and he looked down in her eyes.

"I have to get you out of here," he said quickly. He should have left with her when Potter first told them to go.

"We should make sure that Harry and everyone else is okay first," she begged. He knew she would say something like that.

"No, I have to take care of you. That's my priority." He held her hand and whisked them out of the little room, as the smoke from the earlier explosion covered the portal on the door of the little sanctuary they had just abandoned.

(Coming up in Chapter 11, Draco shows Hermione how much he loves her, and Hermione tells Draco the truth.)


	11. 11 Determined

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 11, Determined:**

They apparated directly to Hermione's childhood bedroom. Draco still had Hermione in his arms. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He was afraid this would turn out to be a dream, and she might disappear in a puff of smoke. He put his hands up to her face, and kissed her right eye, and then her left. He started trailing kisses across her forehead and cheeks. He leaned his head to the left and kissed her gently on the neck. She put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him closer. He continued to kiss her hungrily and she kissed him back. It was as if her kisses had answered his kisses. He put one hand on her heartbeat, and the other he put under her shirt, on her back, right above her bum. He pulled away for a moment, and he asked, "You're okay, aren't you?"

She nodded, and then said, "Draco, I want to make love to you." He wanted to make love to her, also. He knew he would love making love to her. He had never made love to a woman before. He had only ever had sex. That wasn't the same as making love - he was sure. She squinted up at him, curious to what he was thinking. He had yet to respond to her statement. He didn't want her to regret making the proclamation, but he thought he was too drunk on her beauty to answer.

He started to unbutton her shirt. He had to stop his fingers from shaking. He unbuttoned from the bottom up. Even he thought that was strange. When he got to the swell of her breasts, he slowly moved his hands to outline each beautiful mound. He then brought his hands back together, to finish unbuttoning her shirt. When he got to the last button, she shivered. Was she cold, or was it desire? He unbuttoned the last button, and gently moved the shirt down her arms, to let it drop on the floor. He put his fingers under the straps of her bra, on each shoulder, and moved his hand slowly to the front of her bra.

He sank to his knees. She reached down to him, to beg him to stand, but he was unwilling. He kissed her bare stomach. His hands were on her waist, and his mouth on her flat stomach. He kissed and licked her stomach. She giggled. He looked up at her and could not suppress a grin from coming to his mouth. He made her laugh again.

He unbuttoned her jeans. He pulled them slowly down her long graceful legs. He wanted to make this last. He helped her step out of them, and he pushed them aside. He turned her around so she had her back to him. He was still on his knees before her. He put his cheek next to one of her bum. The feel of her cotton knickers felt soft against his face. He was surprised when she hadn't yet asked him what he was doing. He was trying to memorize every inch of her. With her back to him, he reached up and with his fingers sprawled on each hand; he dragged his hands down her back. He reached around and put his right hand on her right leg, and his left hand on her left leg. He let his fingertips drag down the front of her legs, and then back up the backside, facing him. She tried again to turn around, but he held her firm. He stood up.

She leaned back into him. He brought his hands around to her chest, and started to massage both her breasts. He brought his hands back around to her back to unclasped her bra. He wanted so badly to turn her to face him, so he could see her breasts, but he felt a flutter in his stomach. He didn't think he would be able to stand the sight of her beauty. It might be the death of him. He reached down one hand and started lightly fingering the elastic on the top of her panties. His other hand was on her neck. He got up the courage to put his hand between her legs on the outside of her panties, and pressed his middle finger to her core. With her back pressed against his front, and his erection hard against her back, they both knew they could never ever turn back now.

She turned herself around to face him. He pulled her closer to him, reached around and put one hand on her backside, and pressed her hard against his body. He then took both hands and pressed them on her round bum. She had the best body he had ever seen.

Neither spoke, nor at that moment touched, when he finally brought his right hand up and explored her left breast. He touched the nipple. It was dark pink and had become erect. He put his hand underneath and brought the breast up higher. He put his left hand on her right breast and repeated the same action. He bent his head and sucked on one nipple and she cried out. He looked up at her, and she had her eyes closed. He sucked, kissed, and licked both her breasts for many minutes. His fingers continued to explore every inch of her, while his mouth was busy at her breasts.

He could see she had pressed her thighs together. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. It was as if she could read his mind, because she cried out, "Please Draco." That was all he needed. He walked over to the bed, sat down, and pulled her close to him. She stood between his legs. He unbuttoned his shirt, removed it, and then discarded his pants. Now, the only barrier between them was their respective underwear. Again, she must have sensed what he was thinking, and she reached down and removed her knickers. He reached down and removed his boxers.

She looked at his hard long need. She fondled him with a tentative, shy, caress. He began to kiss her deeply as she continued to stroke him. Their lovemaking was a mixture of passion and curiosity. He fell back on the bed, and pulled her on top of him.

Suddenly, their lovemaking went from slow and sensuous, to fast and furious. He ached to be inside her. He flipped her over, so that he was on top, and licked his way down her body. He parted her legs, and kneeled between them. He could see wetness glistening on her curls. He held up one of her legs, and kissed the calf, then her knee, then her thigh. He laid the leg back down, so gently, as if he was afraid to break her. He bent back down and kissed her stomach again. He didn't know how far she would let him go this first time. How much he could explore. He would soon find out.

He crawled beside her. He kissed both of her breasts again. His hand traveled down her stomach, and came to rest between her thighs. He wasn't even moving it yet, just applying gentle pressure. Soon, she was wiggling underneath him. He knew it was a combination of his lips on her breasts and his hand between her legs. He parted her outer lips and put one finger deep inside her, and she moaned and arched her hips. He kissed her mouth again, sucking, licking, and sucking. He put another finger in, and with the pad of his thumb, he slowly rubbed the top of her, knowing that would be her undoing. It was. She said, "Please Draco," for the second time.

He wasn't ready yet, even if she was. He was a generous lover, but he could also be greedy. He wanted as much of her as he could, before this all ended. What if this wasn't real? What if they would all die tomorrow? He had to get his fill of her at that moment, in case it was the last time.

He bent back over her body, and replaced his fingers with his mouth. She tried to push her thighs together, but he forcibly kept them apart with his hands. He enjoyed her little moans and cries. Occasionally he opened his eyes to watch her body wiggle under the spell he had cast upon her. After her breathing became laboured and she started to pant hard, and her legs started to spasm, he pulled himself level to her once more, and he did a graceful slow dance as he glided easily into her. Their bodies were intertwined. He thought he saw stars.

He pushed and she pulled. He couldn't last long. He wanted his release, but not until she had hers. He had to show her how much he loved her. When she finally started her climax, he let go. He exploded into her, and after the briefest interlude, he collapsed on top of her. He wanted to stay inside her forever. He wanted her forever.

They both were so spent, so exhausted from the events of the last few days, that when they finally pulled apart, they fell asleep, embraced in their lover's arms.

That next morning sunshine invaded the room. The brightness yelled at Draco. It yelled, "Time to get up." He stretched and took in his surroundings. He was in Hermione's childhood bedroom. He momentarily forgot that there should be a Hermione around here somewhere, too. He pulled back the covers, and sat up in the bed. Where could she have gone? Panic set in when he thought, 'What if she was gone?' He jumped off the bed and sprinted down the stairs. He ran into the kitchen, yelling for her, completely naked. Hermione sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee with Harry "Fuckwad" Potter.

She grinned at him, the biggest grin he had ever seen, and Harry averted his eyes. Draco, who was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his life, more because he ran into the kitchen calling her name, than because of his nudity, tried to brush the incident off, and calmly sat at the table, completely nude, and reached for a cup of coffee.

"God, Draco, go get some clothes on, please," Harry implored, still holding one hand over his eyes.

"You know you like it, Potter," Draco said with a smirk.

Harry stood up and said and said to Hermione, "I'll let you know when you can come out of hiding. I'll bring more groceries later, too. You can explain everything to 'naked man' over there." Harry kissed the top of her head, and then started to leave, when he couldn't resist getting in one last little jab at Draco. "Ron owes me ten galleons, because he bet you weren't a real blonde," and with that said, he left.

Draco threw the piece of toast he was eating toward the doorway, but Potter was long gone. Hermione started laughing so hard that she was having trouble breathing. He stood back up and walked out of the kitchen, and went and got a shower. Seriously, public humiliation was one thing, but this was too much.

When he got out of the shower, he dressed and walked down the stairs. She was sitting on a bench out on a covered porch off the living room. He opened the sliding door and sat down next to her.

She smiled at him again. "That smile better not be about my embarrassing moment this morning. I want you to forget about that. If I have to get my wand and modify your memory, I will," Draco told her.

She turned her head away from him, but continued to smile. She had the nicest smile.

"Why are you so happy, Granger?" he inquired, although he hoped he knew the answer.

She looked back at him and held up a small piece of parchment, folder in quarters. It was the note he gave Potter to give to her. OH NO! It was a fucking love poem, and he didn't really mean for her to see it. "Potter was only supposed to give you that if I died," he said grimly.

Her smile faded, and she tossed the note to him and walked back in the house. What was up her arse? He took the note in his hand and followed her to the couch. "Why are you angry all of the sudden?" he asked, perturbed.

"So," she began, "I guess you don't mean the things you wrote in that poem?" She looked at the floor.

"Don't call it a poem. That makes me sound like a lovesick fool," he said. He was embarrassed again, so he was being a bastard. That was one of the things he did best, and if she wanted a relationship with him, she would have to learn to handle that.

She got off the couch and walked up the stairs. Maybe she couldn't handle the bastard side, Draco thought. He followed her up the stairs, and tried to get in her bedroom, but her she had locked the door. He said a simple unlocking spell, and entered. He fully expected her to be crying on the bed. She wasn't. She was sitting at her desk. She was writing something. He stood in the doorway watching her for many long minutes. She walked up to him while folding her piece of parchment in quarters. Then she said, "When you're willing to give me your note again, and mean every word written on that page, then I'll give you this note." She stuck the note in her jeans pocket and walked back downstairs.

He looked at the little piece of parchment that he still had in his hand, and without really knowing what to do with it, he put it under the mattress. See if she could find it now. He walked back down stairs, not completely aware of why there was tension between them, and he found her back outside on the covered porch. This time, instead of sitting with her on the bench, he sat on a wicker chair.

"Tell me everything that happened after Martini took you from the cabin," he asked. It was time she told him everything.

(Coming up in Chapter 12, Draco tries to forgive Hermione's indiscretions.)


	12. 12 Damaged

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 12: Damage:**

It seemed to Draco that Hermione was taking a long time to talk to him. He assumed she was afraid to tell him something. That bastard must have hurt her. He must have done something to her, and that's why she was afraid of talking to him. Draco stood back up, walked over to the bench, and sat down next to her. He took her hand. His thumb stroked the top of her hand, and that seemed to give her the courage to speak.

"When Kevin, I meant to say Bruno, came to the cabin that first time, and he asked you to wait outside, he apologized to me for everything that happened. He said he never meant for me to get hurt, he said he was the one that brought me to your house the night I was injured. He told me that he no longer wanted me involved, because he was beginning to have feelings for me, and he was worried for my safety." She looked over to Draco. He knew she wanted to see if she should continue, but he was frowning. However, he was still holding her hand. He gave her hand a little squeeze, to signify that she should go on with her tale.

"After Harry left with you, Bruno came for me, no more than ten minutes later. He told me he was taking me home. I reached for his hand, but instead of going to my home, we went somewhere different. I didn't even know where we were. I was scared, and I pleaded with him to tell me what was going on, but he acted so hateful toward me. He said that he wouldn't let you near me again. He said that you would ruin me." All of the sudden she took her hand from his and she grasped her two hands together tightly. Draco clenched his jaw. "Draco, I was such a fool in the beginning. I was such a fool to believe him. All of this is my fault. I shouldn't have met with him in the first place. And when I found out who he really was, I should have told you or Harry. I am so sorry." She bent her head and started to cry.

He moved over to her swiftly, and as if she weighed no more than a feather, he pulled her onto his lap. He kissed her cheek, and kept his arms tightly around her. She continued, "While I was staying with you, recovering, I received an owl on the fourth day there. Your house elf brought it to me. It was from him. He explained everything to me in the note; that his real name was Bruno Martini, that he worked for the Ministry, and that he was sorry I got hurt. He asked me to open the floo connection at your flat, because he wanted to explain more to me, but he wanted to do it in person. My curiosity got the best of me, so I opened your floo connection. I had no reason to think he would harm us. You and I ended up leaving the next day, so we left before I could meet with him again. Now I realize that he probably wanted the floo connection open to get to you."

Well, that explained two things to Draco. One, the reason his floo connection was opened, and two, the reason Granger didn't seem upset or even surprised when Draco told her who Kevin really was that first day at the cabin. She apparently already knew who he was. Draco didn't say any of this to her; He merely remained silent, so she could continue. She put her face in the crook of his neck and cried some more, and he rubbed his fingers lightly up and down her arm.

"When he came to get me after you and Harry left, he didn't take me to my house, as I already told you," she explained, "He took me back to that same warehouse, the one that he was supposed to meet me at the night I was attacked. That's when he told me he was no longer on the case, because there was another undercover agent whom discovered that Bruno's brother was the leader of the Mud Ones. He told me that his brother thought his alliance was to the Mud Ones, but he swore to me it was with the Ministry. I now know that was a lie, but he said that his brother would continue to threaten me and continue to hunt me down, with the intent to kill, unless he could hand you over to them." She stood up from his lap, and went over to peer out the French doors that led to the outside.

"I pleaded with him. I told him that I had fallen in love with you, and that I didn't want any harm to come to you. I told him we should go to the Ministry, and tell them everything." She continued to ring her hands together as she said this. She stopped and turned to look at him, and he stood up to join her. All he was aware of was that she had just proclaimed her love for him. Well, she didn't say, 'Draco, I love you', but she did say that she told Martini as much. She turned back toward the door and he looked at her reflection in the glass, and he could see a tear falling down her cheek. He reached up to her face, and he wiped it off with his finger.

She turned, fell into his arms, and he held her tight. She was still crying. Draco knew what she had to say next wouldn't be easy for her. He braced himself for the onslaught.

"He became so angry when I told him that I loved you. He told me that I couldn't possibly love you. You were a pureblooded Death Eater, and that you hated me, and everyone like me. He said that I should love him, because he loved me, and he was a Muggle-born. He said it was my choice, either love him and turn you over, or he would turn me over to the Mud Ones, and that they would get to you anyway. I told him that I chose you, and if he had to give me to them, that I didn't care, as long as you were safe. He hit me with a curse and turned me over to his brother. When I woke up at the warehouse, I heard the two brothers talking. They said they would have to pretend that Bruno was captured also, so he could continue to work for the Ministry. Bruno told his brother he still didn't want me killed, and his brother laughed and said I could be his reward."

Suddenly, she pushed away from him, and for some reason, unknown at that time to Draco, she fell down on her knees in the middle of the sun porch, and she screamed a scream that sounded like it was ripped from the depths of her soul.

She shook with uncontrollable sobs. He was shocked. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what caused this sudden outburst. He walked up to her, touched her shoulder, and she screamed, "Don't touch me!"

He took several steps back and sat back down on the bench. He truly was at a loss. He sat and watched her cry for many minutes. Finally, her great heaving sobs stopped, but she remained on the floor. Then, she felt composed enough to finish her story.

"He came to me at the warehouse, to try to convince me one last time to help them capture you. I told him no. He told me that the night of my attack; he had told his brother and the other Mud Ones that you would be with me. He was convinced that once you saw the note, and realized I was in danger, that you would have gone with me, to protect me. He said the fact that you didn't come with me should have been proof to me that you are a coward and not worthy of my love. He said after I arrived at the warehouse alone, he didn't know what to do. He knew his brother would be angry."

"He said when they arrived and saw you weren't there, they stunned him and went off with me. When they returned me, they told him to finish me off and then go find you and bring you to them. Then he said his brother told him that he shouldn't cry over me, because I was worse than a pureblood, because I was a traitor to my own kind. Bruno then said that his brother told him that i was spoiled goods, and that he had raped me, and that no pureblood would want me now. He told Bruno to be sure to tell you that. He told me he never wanted that to happen to me, so in his remorse, he left me on your doorstep, because he couldn't kill me after that. He thought once you knew what had happened to me, you wouldn't want me anymore." She started sobbing again.

The weight of her words came down on him like a ton of bricks. Why didn't he go with her that night? The guilt he was feeling overwhelmed him, and that night he called the healer in, he asked him what they had done to her. The healer asked Draco if he really wanted to know. He told the man no. This was the reason he told him no. That mother-fucking bastard raped the woman he loved, even if he didn't love her at the time, she was the woman he loved now. Why didn't she tell him all of this before? It wouldn't have made a difference, he was sure of that. He got up and he slammed his fist at the French doors. He shattered one of the windowpanes and lacerated his hand. He kicked over a chair and threw a plant halfway across the room. Hermione stayed huddled on the floor, with her head covered by her hands, to protect her from the flying debris. She rocked back and forth, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

He reached down and picked her up. She looked frightened. Did she seriously think he blamed her? Did she think his anger was directed toward her? He pulled her into a tight embrace, and said, in hushed tones, "If that bastard Martini wasn't already dead, I would kill him myself. It's his fault; it's entirely his fault. He drew you into his web of lies, and he's the reason the Mud Ones hurt you. It's Bruno's fault, Hermione, not yours."

Hermione understood that Draco's wrath wasn't aimed toward her. He held her for an insurmountable amount of time. Finally, she pulled away from him, and took him by the hand to the kitchen, were she proceeded to clean and heal his lacerated fist. Finally, she spoke again. "Draco, why did you say it was a good thing Martini was dead? Bruno isn't dead. Harry told me this morning they're looking for him everywhere. He escaped that night."

Draco shook his head no, before any words even came out. "No, remember, when Potter brought you up to that little office at the warehouse, during the fight, he told us Martini was dead," he explained to her. Did she forget that?

Now she was shaking her head. "Bruno Martini isn't dead. Harry meant his brother, Robert. He was killed by one of the Aurors. Harry and the rest of the Ministry are afraid that Bruno will now take over for his brother, and they feel he's a bigger danger, because of his ties to the Ministry, and because of his feelings for me, and his hatred of you," she said.

Draco felt sick. He wanted to kill someone. Not someone. He wanted to kill a specific someone, but anyone at that moment would do. He looked down at Hermione and said, "Please know that I love you, but this is too much for me. I have to leave. I'll be back. Please, know that I'll be back." As he apparated away, he could hear Hermione calling his name.

(Coming up in chapter 13, Draco returns to Hermione and decides he should take her somewhere else.)


	13. 13 Drunk

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 13: Drunk:**

Draco Malfoy was always a stupid, selfish bastard. That was what everyone thought. Even he always thought so. He had been sitting in the study of Malfoy Manor, with a glass of scotch, for over two hours and he had concluded one thing: he hated himself. He hated everything about himself. He hated the way he looked. He hated the way he thought. He hated the way he talked. He hated Draco Malfoy with a passion.

How could he just leave Hermione during her bleakest, darkest, moment? After she had said she loved him, and after they had made love last night. He left her because everything was too much for him to handle. That was just too fucking sad, Draco, and too bad as well. He made himself another drink, (he had already had four) and he sat back down on the wingback chair in the corner of the massive room. He looked at all the books on the bookshelves, and all he could do was think of her, and how much she probably hated him, too.

He wondered what he could have done differently. He wondered what she thought about him now. He wondered so much that he had a headache. He also was royally pissed. He stumbled over to the couch, and he fell asleep.

When he woke up he had no idea what time of day it was, nor did he care. He rolled off the couch, and tried to stand up, but he fell back down. He lay on the floor, spread eagle, and stared up at the ceiling. Then, he had an epiphany, a genuine change your life forever, epiphany. God, he was a stupid git. That was not his epiphany; that was just a fact. His epiphany was that if Hermione Jean Granger loved him for what he was, then who was he to hate himself? She grew up with him. He tormented her for seven long years. His family even tired to kill her and her friends a few times. He was cruel, he called her the foulest names; in other words, he had always been a first class wanker. She loved him anyway. She loved him. He hated him, but she loved him. He loved her as well. What the hell was he doing on the middle of the floor at fucking Malfoy Manor? He should be with her. If she could love him after all these years; and she wouldn't love a bastard, git, wanker, bloody fool; then that means he really had changed after all. He had wanted to change for so long. He didn't know it had already happened. He had been waiting for it, and he thought he would have noticed the moment he changed right away. He thought when it had finally happened, perhaps people might start applauding when he walked by, but maybe his change had come about more gradual.

He had changed by God! Because Hermione Granger was a smart, loving, beautiful woman, she had excellent taste, and she would never love Draco Malfoy if he had not changed!

He crawled over to the couch, and pulled himself up. He decided not to apparate while under the influence. He went to the fireplace, and decided to floo. Draco didn't know if her parents' house was hooked up to the floo network, but he would soon find out if it was. He came stumbling out of her parents' fireplace in what he would assumed was the previously mentioned den. He had not been in this room before. He dusted himself off and went to find Hermione.

"Granger!" he demanded. Where had she gone?

"Honey, I'm home," he yelled. She came out of the kitchen, with red-rimmed eyes, and her hair very disheveled.

"You're drunk," she said, with her hands on her hips.

"No I'm not," he retorted. Then he swayed. Then he sat down, but he slid off the chair and landed on his backside on the floor. "Come to poppa," he said, patting his lap.

"Why are you drunk?" she demanded to know. "You have no right to get drunk."

"I didn't know getting drunk was a right. I always thought it was more of a privilege." He slurred his speech as he stood.

"Get out of my house," she told him. She walked back to the kitchen. She had cooked spaghetti and meat sauce. It smelled wonderful. It was close to dinnertime. He was hungry. He would stay for supper, he decided.

He came up behind her as she stood at the stove, and put his arms around her waist. "This isn't your house Hermione; it's your parents' house," he said in her ear. She had turned her head to tell him something, but he could tell she took one whiff of his alcohol-laced breath, and that was why she turned back around and faced the stove again.

She pushed him off her and said, "You have terrible breath. If you insist on staying, go upstairs, shower, put on some clothes that don't smell like you fell asleep in a whore house, and take some pepper-up potion that's in the medicine cabinet." She pointed toward the hall.

"Yes, Madame," he said, with a low bow. He almost fell again as he straightened to stand. He stumbled up the stairs. He really did almost fall twice. That was probably her evil plan. Have him fall down the stairs so he would knock himself out and she could have her way with him. He laughed at himself. He always thought he was witty.

He took the pepper-up potion first. It sobered him up quite a bit. He took his shower, and as he stood in the shower, he was aware of the foolish things he had said earlier, before he left. He would always be a git, even if she loved him. After his shower, he went into her bedroom, where his bag was, and changed his clothes. He sat on the bed to put on his shoes, and he remembered the piece of parchment he had put under the mattress earlier. He finished putting his shoes on, and reached under the mattress, and put the piece of paper in his jeans pocket. He walked down to the kitchen.

The food was on the table. She was already eating. At least she had set a place for him. "Thanks for waiting for me, Granger," he said rudely. As he filled his plate, he realized he was being a bastard again. He wasn't a bastard any longer. He would have to remember that, and that he loved her. In addition, she didn't deserve his smart remarks. She deserved an apology. "Listen Granger, I was a bloody bastard earlier, right, and I can't change the fact that I ran out on you, but it had nothing to do with you. It had nothing to do with what you told me. I was angry with myself, and I didn't know what to do to help you, so I left. It was wrong, and I'm sorry."

She put her fork down, and raised her eyebrows. What? She wanted more? Fine, he would tell her about his epiphany. "I came to what I am now referring to as my own little epiphany today. Do you want to know what that was, Granger?"

"If you wish to tell me, I can't close my ears, so speak," she said, less than amused.

"I was sitting at Malfoy Manor, DRINKING," he said that last word loudly, "and I realized how much I hated myself. I realized how much of a bastard I had been. I had been all my life. I was all through my childhood, and into my adulthood. I was spoiled, mean, and an around sodding git."

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "That's not an epiphany Malfoy. That's just something called the truth."

"Just shut up and let me finish," he said as he took a big bite of spaghetti.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she waned.

"Don't talk with that stick up your arse," he said back. Now she looked ready to hex him. He decided to go ahead and explain his epiphany to her.

"Well, as I was thinking about how much I hated myself, and what a foul person I had been all my life, but then I thought, I can't be that bad anymore. I mean, Hermione Granger said she loved me. She wouldn't love me if I was that bad, and I decided that I loved you too, so again, there must be something inside me that's not that bad. You wouldn't love a bad man, would you?" He took another bite of spaghetti.

Hermione stood up and took her plate over to the sink. She threw it in the sink and yelled, "Don't you ever, and I mean ever, throw a hissy fit like you did earlier today; throwing plants around and hitting doors. We have to stick together, if this relationship is to work. Do you understand?" She walked up to him and he turned around in his seat, and he was a big enough man to admit that he was a bit afraid of her. He put his knife up, for protection. She started poking him in the chest, "You hurt me. Almost as much as those men hurt me. I thought you were running out on me because you were ashamed of me, or didn't love me, or whatever. You won't do that again, do you understand me. And no more getting pissed." By this time, she had taken his knife and thrown it across the table.

He pulled her on his lap, and asked, "But, did you like my epiphany?"

"It had its merits," she answered with a sigh.

"You forgive me? Because, I swear to you, my leaving had nothing to do with you. It was because of me, and hopefully, I'll become a better person every day I'm with you, and that type of thing won't happen again, I promise. Maybe in a few years I'll even be as good as St. Potter," he said with a smile, and then he kissed her neck.

"I forgive you, and no one is as good as Harry," she laughed. She kissed his cheek. He reached around her and took another bite of food. "Do you like my cooking?" she asked.

"Yes, very much. Maybe I'll get a chance to enjoy more of your cooking," he laughed.

"Doubtful, this is the only thing I can make. Good thing you have house elves. By the way, are they free elves?" she asked.

He pushed her off his lap and got up to get more food, pretending he didn't hear her. Then, as he sat back down, and he pulled her back on his lap and said, "When you were in the middle of your little diatribe earlier, you weren't serious when you said I could never get pissed again, were you?" he asked, as he took his biggest bite yet.

"You may get pissed, but only in times of jubilation. Not times of sorrow. For instance, if we would ever say, celebrate some sort of wedding, or anniversary, or birth of a child, then you may get sloshed. If we have a fight, we lose our little finger in an accident, or I die, you may not get drunk. Understand?" she said.

He hugged her tight and said, "Why did you have to say the pinkie thing. Now I'll have nightmares. I love my pinkies. See how pretty they are?" He held up his hands.

"You're seriously worried about the finger part?" she asked sincerely.

"Well, I wasn't about to mention the part about you dieing, because that's never going to happen. I'll die way before you, and I give you permission to get royally drunk when that happens," he told her. He tried to keep the mood light, but why in the hell did she have to say that? He would never survive if she died.

He stood up, and even though his mood was no longer light and happy, he pretended that it was. "Go and grab a nap, Granger. I'll clean up." She started to protest, but he said, "Now, now, I know how much you love your dishes and your sink, but seriously, you cooked, I'll clean." He kissed her face tenderly. 'Don't die Granger', he thought. What a morbid thought.

He finished up in the kitchen, with the help of a little magic, and found her lounging on the couch, reading a book, much in the same position she had been in the first day they came to her parents' house. This time, he sat on the edge of the couch were her head was. He lifted her up, sat down, and put her back against his chest, with their legs over the remaining sofa cushions. "Oh, hey, I have something for you." He moved her up a bit, got the piece of parchment from his pocket, and tossed it to her. It landed on her lap. She didn't have to read it; she already knew what it said.

She smiled up at him, and he put his arms tighter around her, to envelope her in their warm embrace. "Do you mean what you wrote?" she asked. He nodded his head yes. She reached in her pocket and said, "Here," and handed him her note. "Do you want me to read it now?" he asked.

"Do you want to?" she asked back.

He didn't answer her. He opened the parchment, and she lay back in his arms, and watched looked up into his face as he read. He smiled broadly, and then said, "You wrote a line in reference to each line of my letter."

"Your letter? Don't you mean your poem?" she joked.

"Listen, Granger, I'm a manly man, and I don't write poetry. It was a letter," he scolded.

She sat up beside him, swung her legs over his, and said, "Yes, a letter that rhymed and was written in prose." She laughed at him. He loved her laugh. "Did you read the last part?" she asked.

"You wrote 'yes'." he smiled back at her.

"And what would that be in reference?" Hermione asked shyly, as she curled up in a ball on the opposite end of the couch.

"Hey, Granger," Draco said, as he pulled on her legs and forced her to come back and sit on his lap again. "If you seriously think a wife of mine is going to sit so far away from me when I'm on the couch, then you have another think coming," he said, as he tickled her ribs.

"So, you want me to be your wife?" she asked as she put her hands on the back of his head and she kissed his neck softly.

"Kiss me again, and I'll let you know," he said seductively.

She put her lips on his and kissed him passionately. When she pulled away, she said, "I didn't think I would have to work this hard for a wedding proposal." He grinned and kissed her back.

"It'll be a lot of work being married to me, Granger. You'd better get that in your bushy little head, right now."

"What are we going to do about the whole Mud Ones, Martini problem?" she asked him.

"We're not going to worry about it until the morning. That's what," he said. He had already decided what they would do. They would leave here. They would go somewhere so far away that no one would ever find them. She picked up her book from the coffee table, and nestled back into his arms. He had hoped this was what it would feel like. This love thing. He loved her. She loved him. He would keep her safe, or die trying.

(Coming up in Chapter 14, Draco tells Harry that the plan is ready to set into motion.)


	14. 14 Dishonesty

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 14: Dishonesty:**

Several days had passed. Draco spent them enjoying his new role as "boyfriend". They still fought over petty little things, but for the most part, they enjoyed each other's company. They still hadn't left her parents' house, and Harry had stopped by a couple of times, and told them there were still no leads on the Mud Ones. Draco didn't mind. He liked the little routine that they had started. He had been lonely and desperate most of his life. He did not mind some bliss.

Hermione told Draco that her parents were due to come home in a week. She didn't think they should still be there when they came back. Draco didn't think they should leave. He asked Hermione if she was ashamed of him. She told him that she just wanted to protect her parents from harm. Gee, that made sense.

Therefore, Draco arranged with Potter to take Hermione to Malfoy Manor. The place was like a fort, and no one could enter if Draco wanted to keep them out. Therefore, that was where they went.

"We won't have to be here long, I'm sure," Draco explained to Hermione.

"It's just that I miss my job, and my friends, and my flat. This is no reflection on you; I just want my life back," Hermione complained as she sat down across from Draco in the formal dining room, waiting to be served lunch the first day they arrived.

Draco stood up and went to stand by her chair. It never dawned on him that she might miss things. He didn't have a real job, he had no friends, and his apartment was just an apartment, but of course, Hermione would miss these types of things. "Hermione, I know it won't be long now. Potter already has a plan to draw them out, so no worries." He bent down and kissed the top of her head, then sat back down.

Actually, the plan to lure the Mud Ones out in the open was actually Draco's plan. Potter did not want to go ahead with it, because he thought it was too dangerous, but Draco wanted to find this group and make them pay for everything that had happened to Hermione. After Lunch, Draco took Hermione on a tour of the house. It really was a rather large and depressing place. He asked Hermione if she would want to live here after they married, and she gave him a look that looked as if she had just eaten something sour, so he took that as a no. That was just as well. He didn't want to live here either.

They had been sitting out in the gardens one day, when Hermione mentioned that the gardens were the nicest part of the house. He thought so, too. Even though it was autumn, the garden was full of colour and life. They sat under a pear tree, and she said, "Tell me about growing up here."

"It was okay," was his meager response.

"Be a bit more expansive with your answer," she goaded.

"Really," he said, "I don't want to take about my childhood. My parents loved me the best they could, I was spoiled and given everything, and I was selfish and a brat. End of my life story." He had been leaning against the tree, and she had been leaning against his chest. She turned in his arms when he said that, and looked at him, but she never asked him about his childhood again.

"Tell me about your childhood, princess," he said mocking.

"My dad called me princess," she said with a smile.

"You were probably doted on and praised at every second," Draco reproached. "Oh look, our little Hermione tied her own shoe, isn't she great? Oh joy, little Hermione read her first book and we love her so. Oh my, our little Hermione is married to a Death Eater, we shall cut our wrists." She turned in his arms again and frowned at him. "That last one is yet to come. I'm sure that's what your parents will say."

She pulled away from him. "My parents will accept you and come to love you, because I do, and because they are wonderful people," she said with a 'so there' tone. "Where are your parents?" she wondered.

"They live in Florence, Italy now," Draco told her.

"Are you going to tell them you're marrying a Mudblood?" she asked.

"I might; I might not," he answered. He didn't correct the Mudblood part.

"What does that mean?" she asked with anger.

He sighed, and then said, "We don't see each other much any more. No real reason, but my life is my own, and I do with it what I want."

At that second, Harry Potter came walking out of the house, toward the gardens.

"Your house isn't too well protected, Malfoy," he said as he approached them, "I was just admitted entrance by your house elves." He gave Hermione his hand to help her stand.

"Yes well, Potty, my house elves only admit those whom I have already told them to admit, so that shows what you know," Draco said as he stood. He sounded like a five year old.

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at one man then the other and said, "Where are we going?"

"Malfoy, do you tell her anything?" Harry asked with a point.

"No," Draco said with a glare.

"Hermione, we're all going to the Ministry today. We're going to the registry office. You're getting married today. There's a team of Aurors waiting for you outside," Harry told her.

Her eyes became as big as saucers, and she said, "We're getting married today? When was this decided? I don't want to get married at some registrar's office. I want a big wedding in my parent's back garden, with all my friends and family!"

Draco moved his head side to side, in a mocking tone, as she spoke, so she hit his arm hard.

Draco told her, "You can still have all of that later. I just want to go ahead and get married now. Can't you do this for me?"

"What is the purpose of this?" she asked.

"Don't you want to get married?" Harry asked.

"Mind your own business, Potter," Draco told him.

"Yes, I want to get married, I just don't understand why we have to do it this way, at this time," she explained.

"What if the Mud Ones kills me?" Draco asked, trying to make her feel guilty. "Don't you want to have all my money?"

"What a perfectly morbid thought, you dolt," she told him, hitting him again.

"If we're going to do this," Harry started, "we have got to go now."

"Well, Granger?" Draco asked her, with one eyebrow raised.

"Fine!" She threw her hands up in defeat.

They arrived at the Ministry, and to say they were well protected would have been an understatement. There were as many as ten Aurors around them. They entered the registrar's office, and the ceremony took all of five minutes. They signed the necessary forms, and then they left the office.

"I thought it was a nice ceremony," Draco said with sarcasm. Hermione frowned during the whole thing. "Hermione, you'll get your big garden wedding, I promise." He pulled her into a tight hug. "It just dawned on me; I didn't get to kiss the bride."

"That's because we got married in a registrar's office," Hermione told him with disdain.

"Well, let's remedy that." Draco cleared his throat and said, "I may now kiss the bride." He bent his head to hers, and he gave her a sweet, but longing, kiss on her lips. He pulled away for a second, and then leaned his head the other direction, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter and he kissed her again. She opened her mouth to him, and they kissed each other hard, oblivious to the fact that they were standing in the hallway at the Ministry of Magic, and there were many people all around.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you as well," he said back.

"We should get you back," Harry interrupted.

"Potter is such a stick in the mud, isn't he?" Draco asked Hermione. She nodded her head yes.

They walked back to the lobby and waiting by the many fireplaces to go back to Malfoy Manor by floo, when Draco dropped Hermione's hand and said, "I want to go over there and get a paper." He walked away from her and started over to the paper stand, which was in the lobby.

Harry shouted over the throng of people, "Malfoy, it's time to go!"

Draco turned around to give Harry a rude gesture; and that was when Draco was surrounded by a swarm of tall figures, dressed all in white with black mask. It seemed as if they appeared out of thin air. Hermione screamed. Harry pulled her aside and the other Aurors started firing spells and curses after the men. It was pure chaos. Ministry visitors and employees were running everywhere. Wizards and Witches were screaming. There were spells, curses, and flashes of light and smoke. Hermione raised her head to look for Malfoy. Harry was still on top of her. Draco saw that Hermione was safe, just before he disappeared.

(Coming up in Chapter 15, not all is as it appears)


	15. 15 Discriminate

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 15, Discriminate:**

The room where he was discarded was dark and damp. It had a single cot, a metal chair, and no windows. The paint looked as if it had been peeled almost completely off the walls. There was a distinct smell of despair in the air; or maybe that smell was urine. The floor was cement, and had the same peeled paint. It was cold. He noticed there was an old blanket on the bed, but no pillow. It was hard for him to see. He had to blink his eyes several times before he became accustomed to the lack of light.

His first thought went to Hermione. The look on her face as he was taken away would be etched in his mind forever. She had to be scared for him. Her wedding day and her groom kidnapped right in front of her. Draco sat on the cot, and hung his head in shame and despair. This was not the way someone should spend the hours after his or her wedding. There should be a big reception, with cake, and champagne. All their friends, (well, all of Hermione's friends) and their families should have been there to help them celebrate, and then there should be a honeymoon. He longed for a honeymoon. He missed Hermione.

A man came into the room, and threw a paper down on the bed, where Draco sat. "Look, Malfoy, you've already made the papers," the man said. Draco opened up the paper, and indeed, his kidnapping had made the front page. Well, it wasn't everyday someone was kidnapped from the Ministry of Magic, in front of a slew of Aurors, in the middle of the afternoon, and on their wedding day no less. He perused the article, and threw the paper back at the man. The man threw it on the floor.

"Where am I?" Draco asked the man.

"Does it matter?" the man asked back.

"Yes, I think it does," Draco said with an air of arrogance.

"You're at a place that no one will find you," the man said, as he sat down on the lonely chair in the little room.

"Are you planning on staying for a chat?" Draco asked.

"No, I guess not," the man said, as he stood back up

"Do you know if Granger is all right?" Draco inquired.

"It doesn't seem to me that you really care," the man said with a trace of anger.

"Where have you been, anyhow?" Draco quizzed, "I haven't seen you for a long time."

"I've been on holiday," the man answered.

"You went without your boyfriend?" Draco sneered.

"You're a riot, Malfoy," the man answered back. "You know I'm married now. The old joke about Harry and I being boyfriends is getting a bit old."

"Well, Weasley, I just call them like I see them," Draco laughed.

"Harry'll be down to talk to you in a moment. I better go." With that said, Ron Weasley left Draco alone in the little dark room.

Draco never liked Ron Weasley. He and Granger had once dated. Now he probably liked Weasley even less, since he married Hermione. He got married today, and Granger would be scared and worried. She must have thought he was really kidnapped. He was beginning to think he really was kidnapped. He felt that way. On the other hand, maybe Potter and Weasley had him thrown in prison for having the gull to get married to their precious little friend.

Harry Potter came and sat down. "Malfoy," he nodded.

"How's Granger?" Malfoy asked.

"Her name is Malfoy now, and how do you think she is?" Harry maliciously asked back. "I don't like withholding information from her."

"Neither do I, but we all agreed this was the only way for this madness of end," Draco responded. "By the way, where the hell am I?" Draco asked Harry.

"Well, you can't really apparate or disapparate in or out of the Ministry, but you can apparate to different sections of the building, so you're in a holding cell. One we use for prisoners being transported to Azkaban. You're perfectly safe here. It's probably one of the most secure spots in the whole Ministry." Harry told him.

"Perfect. The accommodations are absolutely wonderful," Draco said with a drawl.

"Listen," Harry said, with a trace of spite, "If you had wanted a four star hotel for your honeymoon, then you shouldn't have come up with this plan in the first place. Even if it is a good plan." Harry said that last sentence in almost a whisper, but Draco heard him anyway.

"Just take care of Granger," Draco demanded, "I love her."

"Yeah, so do a lot of us, Malfoy," Harry spat, as he turned to leave the room.

"Are you sure the trace on her is foolproof?" Malfoy asked, as he stood from the bed beside Potter.

"Yes, I put the spell on her myself. If the Mud Ones try to get her, we'll know right away, and she'll lead us right to them," Harry explained.

"What do you suppose the Mud Ones think about my kidnapping? Don't you think Martini will know about not being able to apparate from the Ministry?" Draco asked.

"They'll probably think it was done by a copy cat organization. I don't think they'll assume the Ministry is in on it. After all, having someone kidnapped under the nose of half the Auror department, and in the lobby of the Ministry itself, doesn't exactly put the Ministry of Magic in a very good light, now does it?" Harry retorted, "I have to go. I left Ginny with Hermione. She went back to her parents' house. I want to make sure she's holding up okay." Harry turned back around and left.

Several hours went by and no one came down to see Draco. He was beginning really to feel as if he was a prisoner. He didn't even know if it was day or night. He was also very hungry. Did they feed their prisoners around here? Draco's door was not locked to his cell, so he stood up and walked out into the hall. It was silent, and somewhat eerie. Maybe the Mud Ones really kidnapped him, and Potter and Weasley were part of their little group. Draco went back in his cell, and realized how stupid that thought was. Weasley, as hard as it was to believe, was a pureblood. Potter was a half-blood. Draco rested back on his cot, in his dark, damp, little cell, (fighting his hunger pains) and he fell asleep.

He had no idea how long he had slept. He woke up, and there was a tray of food on the little metal chair. He sat up, took the apple from the tray, and started to eat. The newspaper that Weasel brought earlier was on the floor. Draco bent down, picked it up, and read the article again. There was a picture of Draco and Hermione, leaving the registrar's office. He wasn't aware there was a photographer there. That would help the plan along. The Mud Ones would be more determined to get to Hermione if they thought she was now married to a pureblood.

She was now married to a pureblood. She was Mrs. Draco Malfoy. He felt as if he married her under false pretenses. He wanted to marry her, but not like this. She didn't want to be married like this either. Draco imagined that she probably had cried most of the day, and was now sitting at home wringing her hands, trying to figure out where he was. He should have told her the plan. He just didn't think she would have gone along with everything. She would hate him now, when she discovered the truth. If all went as planned, she would no longer be in harm's way. He could handle her hate. After all, she had hated him most of their lives, and he had handled that just fine.

He finished all the food on the tray. He stood up to walk around when Harry came into the cell and said, "The wheels are in motion. They took her. We know where they are. Come on." Draco dashed out the door, followed by Potter, and they ran down the hall.

(Coming up in Chapter 16, Draco rescues Hermione, or is it the other way around?)


	16. 16 Discovery

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 16: Discovery:**

The house they apparated to appeared to be on a deserted street, in a run down section of Muggle London. It seemed to be abandoned. There were boards on the windows and doors. There were no lights in any of the windows. Draco was concerned. This was the place where they had brought Hermione. Harry, Ron and Draco ran to the back of the building. Two other Aurors, whom Draco remembered from earlier that day, decided to watch the front. Draco was surprised that Potter had even allowed him to come. The fact that Draco insisted probably had nothing to do with the fact that Harry let him come. It probably had more to do with the fact that Harry wanted Draco to take Hermione's wrath when they found her.

Harry whispered to Draco, "Ginny said that they had burst into Hermione's parents' house right before I got back. Martini didn't even try to hide his identity. They stunned Ginny and then took Hermione and apparated with her from the front garden. They didn't even seem to care if any of the Muggle neighbors saw them leave. The trace led us to them here."

"What do we do now? They could be torturing or raping her as we speak. We shouldn't waste any more time," Draco whispered back.

"We need to wait for the other Aurors to arrive, and then we'll get the all clear to enter by Ron. He went around to the other side of the house, to see if there are other ways to enter. You have to stay here, Draco," Harry told him, "We can't risk them taking you, or all of this will be in vain. I let you come along, because I knew you would anyway, but on this I won't waver." Potter pointed his wand at Draco, to emphasis the point.

Draco knew that Pothead had a point. He just wanted all of this done. He nodded in assent. Weasel apparated directly in front of Harry and told him that Hermione was in a basement room, on the east side of the house. He could see her from a window. She didn't appear to be bound. There wasn't anyone in the room with her. There appeared to be three men on the ground level. Weasley said one of them was definitely Martini. He couldn't tell if there were any others. Harry told Ron to tell the Aurors out front what he found out, and then when the back up appeared, they would make their move.

"It's a shame there's not more of them here," Harry said.

"Oh, I forgot," Draco retorted, "you like it when the odds are stacked against you, don't you, Potter. Reminds you of when you used to fight Voldemort."

"That's not what I meant, Malfoy," Harry said sharply. "I just don't want a bunch of rogue Mud Ones out there, running amuck. It's bad enough we're still chasing old Death Eaters. Maybe we should just let them kill each other."

"That's very funny, Potter," Draco answered. Just then, Ron appeared again and gave Harry thumbs up. That must have been the sign. Harry and Ron ran around to the other side of the house. Draco remained behind.

The minutes passed by agonizingly slow for Draco. A half an hour must have passed. He didn't know if he should stay behind or not. He could help, dammit. He stood from his hiding place, and was greeted by one of the Mud Ones, who pointed his wands directly at Draco's chest. OH SHITE. The man pointed toward the woods behind the house, and made a signal for Draco to follow. Draco decided to draw his wand instead. That was a mistake. The other man disarmed Malfoy, and then captured Draco's wand in his hand. Now the damn terrorist had two wands pointed at him.

The man led Draco into the woods, behind the house. Where were all the Aurors? Had they been discovered? Draco didn't think so. He saw nothing going on in the house, and for some reason, this particular Mud One didn't seem to want the other Mud Ones to see him with Draco. He put one finger up to the mouth of his mask, as a signal for Draco to keep quite. Then, he led him deeper into the woods. How was he going to rescue Hermione if he was in the woods?

"Listen, you bastard, I'm not going any further. Just take me to your leader or whatever." Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

The bastard hexed Draco on the spot. He went ten feet backwards, and hit a tree. The wind was knocked out of him. He cracked a rib. When, not if, but when Draco got his wand back, that person was dead.

Draco was having trouble breathing and struggled to stand. "Listen you piece of shite, I don't care what you do to me; just tell me if my wife is alive."

The man took his hood off, and then his mask. "Why do you care?" said the person who had just cursed Malfoy. It was Hermione.

"What the hell, Granger?" Draco said, bent over in pain.

"Harry gave me this disguise, so I could escape the house unnoticed. Then, he told me to come find you and take you to safety, you stupid bastard," Hermione scolded.

"Listen, I knew you would be angry…" Draco started, but was cut off by Hermione.

"Oh, I'm not in the least bit angry. Why would I be angry? You forced me to marry you without a moment's notice, so you could fake your own kidnapping, not even worried about what that would do to me, and to top it all off, you kept me in the dark about the whole bloody thing!" Hermione was practically yelling. He wished she would be quiet. They might be discovered. Instead, she continued to yell, "Who do you think you are? Do you think I'm incompetent? Did you think I couldn't be trusted to help with the plan? Good thing Harry thinks more of me than you do, Malfoy. Good thing he told me the whole thing, even if he did wait until ten minutes before they kidnapped me to tell me."

Draco was now standing straight up, abet with some difficulty. "Harry said they took you before he got back there," Draco said with a wince of pain.

"Well, he lied! He lied to a liar. Call the lie police!" she screamed.

'The lie police?' he thought. "You're crazy, you stupid bitch. You hexed me. I think I have a broken rib."

"You'll have more than that if you call me a stupid bitch again," she said as she threw his wand to him. "Come on; we need to make sure Harry and Ron are okay." She started toward the house.

Damn them all. Damn all the stupid, brave little Gryffindors. He followed her anyway.

As they approached the house, they saw the Aurors leading Martini and the other Mud Ones outside. There were more of them present than they first thought. Draco lost count at twelve.

"Looks like Potter saved the day, Granger," Draco said through his pain. "Now, will you take your husband to the hospital?"

"I have no husband," she spat, as she turned to face him with a furious look on her face. "Ron will take you to the damn hospital. Now that the danger's over, I'm going back to my flat." She called Ron over, and then she turned back to face Draco. "I mean it, Malfoy; don't contact me for a while. I'm very angry with you, and I have to have time to think things through." She walked toward Ron, said something to him, and then she left.

"Malfoy, let me take you to St. Mungos," Ron said, as he started to take Malfoy's arm.

"Go to hell, Weasley. You, Potter, and Granger can all go to hell. I'll get my personal healer to see to me," Draco said through clenched teeth.

Harry approached the two men; he had overheard what Draco had said. "You knew this would be the probable outcome, Malfoy," Harry told him, "So, live with the consequences. Come on Ron, we need to get back to the Ministry." Draco saw Hermione's best friends leave, just as she left. He didn't care. He didn't need any of them.

Really; Damn them all.

(Coming up, Draco decides to invite himself to meet his in laws, and Hermione is not at all happy.) *2 more chapters to go.


	17. 17 Dinner and a Dance

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 17, Dinner and a Dance:**

Several weeks had past since Hermione's rescue. She had not contacted Draco in the least. He hadn't tried to contact her either. His pride wouldn't let him. The least she could have done was to stop by and see if he had healed from being hexed, but she hadn't even done that. He had started back to work, and started living his same old lonely, desperate, despicable life.

One night when he got home from work later than usual, he decided to go to his favourite restaurant. He hadn't been there since that night. He decided to walk there. Walking was nice sometimes. It helped him clear his head. The evening air was chilly. Winter would soon burden the world with its cold and snow. He pulled his collar up higher, and he picked up his pace. He finally reached the little restaurant. When he entered, the owner told him he was happy to see him. He acknowledged that Draco hadn't been there for a while. He told Draco he was also happy to see that he wasn't permanent scarred by his kidnapping ordeal, oh, and by the way, congratulations on Draco's marriage. Draco just said 'Thank you' and asked to be shown to his table.

Draco sat at his usual little table, in his usual dark and depressing corner of the restaurant, and he had a revelation. He didn't want his life to go back to the way it was. He didn't want the desolate, restless distress that he constantly felt before he found love. He wanted to be happy. He wanted Hermione back. He would have to bury his pride deep inside, be the bigger person, and make the first move. He stood to leave the restaurant, before he even ordered, but when he stood, he saw something that cut him to the bone. He saw her. He saw Hermione.

She was alone, and she appeared to be looking around at all the tables, searching for someone or something. He stood by his chair, and he let the smallest flicker of hope pop into his chest; perhaps she was searching for him. At last, they made eye contact. She didn't look away, and he couldn't look away. She started walking toward him. He suddenly felt lightheaded. Fireworks were bursting off in his heart. As she walked closer, he actually had to hold on to the back of the chair, to keep from falling over.

When she was less than an arms length from him, she said, "Hello, Draco." Hello, Draco. She said, 'Hello Draco'. She spoke to him, and said his name.

"Hello, Hermione," he whispered back. He would have spoken louder, but he had a hitch in his throat. It must have been his heart.

"Could we sit and talk a moment?" she asked.

He pulled out a chair for her, as a reply. She sat down and he sat down in the chair next to her. Her hands were on her lap. Without asking permission, he picked one up and held it in both of his. She was silent. He thought she wanted to talk. He was silent as well. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but he wanted to hear what she had to say first.

"How have you been?" she asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. Maybe he had forgotten how to speak. He cleared his throat. Sound came out, so apparently he could still talk. He asked her, "How about you?"

"I've been good. I've been working hard. Did you see my article on the Mud Ones?" She seemed proud. He was proud of her. He shook his head yes and smiled. She continued, "I gave up my flat. I'm currently staying with my mum and dad, in case you would need to get a hold of me, or anything."

She wanted him to get a hold of her. That was a good sign.

"What are we doing, Hermione?" he asked her as he let go of her hand. Damn, that wasn't what he meant to ask. He finally found his voice, and he had to say something confrontational.

"I don't know, Malfoy," she said back.

"What did you want to discuss?" He tried to make that sentence sound less rude than he wanted it to sound.

"I just thought we needed to talk about us. I went to your flat tonight, and you weren't there, so I thought I would find you here," she started. Before she could say more, the waiter came.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Draco asked her.

"No, I think I'll just go." She got up to leave. He thought she wanted to talk. "You enjoy your meal. We can speak another time. I'll see you around." She bent over and kissed him on the cheek, and practically ran out of the restaurant. He knew he should follow, but he didn't. Why did women have to be so complicated? He ordered some food and stayed and finished his dinner, and then went home and went to bed.

He had a terrible night. He dreamt of her all night. He woke very early, and he decided to find her and make her talk to him. He wasn't even sure if she was still angry with him. If she was, she had no reason. In his mind, he really didn't do anything wrong.

It was Saturday, so he decided she must be at home. He apparated to her parents' house, and rang the front doorbell. A very attractive older woman came to the door. She smiled and asked, "May I help you?"

"Mrs. Granger?" Draco asked.

"Well, it's actually Dr. Granger, but, you can call me Jane, Draco," she laughed, as she opened the door wide enough for him to enter.

"How do you know my name?" he asked as he came in and took off his coat.

She took the coat from him and said, "Hermione told us all about you."

That was strange. He wondered what she told them. Did he come out looking like a bastard in her story? Apparently not, since her mum was being polite.

"Is Hermione home?" he asked her.

"No, she's not, but come in anyway; we would like to get to know you. Let me go get my husband, George." She told him to have a seat. He sat on the familiar couch, on which he had sat with Hermione. An older man came in and offered Draco his hand. Draco stood and shook hands with Hermione's father. He seemed as nice as her mother did. How did Hermione turn out to be such a bitch with such nice parents? Draco thought. He had to smile to himself at his little observation. He didn't think Hermione was always a bitch, just sometimes.

"So, what has Hermione said about me?" Draco asked, a little bit worried.

"She told us about the trouble you both had while we were away," Hermione's father said. "We read her article. Nasty business."

"Did she tell you that we got married?" Draco asked, getting to the point.

Apparently, she didn't. Both of her parents looked like someone had knocked the wind out of their sails. They looked at Draco, and then at each other, and then her mother said, "She must have left that part out, so why don't you tell us your version of the story, and we'll see what else our dear daughter forgot to tell us."

Draco started at the beginning. He told them about the restaurant and the attack by the Death Eater. He even told them about Hermione and him being cursed. He didn't tell them she killed someone. He told them about the note, and Hermione being hurt by the Mud Ones, and again, he left out the gorier details. He told them how they came here first, and then went into hiding. He told them somewhere along the way they fell in love with each other. He told them that they got married, and about his kidnapping and Hermione's rescue. When he was done, an hour had passed. Her parents looked to be in shock. They asked an occasional question, here and there, but for the most part, they just let Draco talk.

When he was finished, he told them that he still loved her, and he wasn't sure why Hermione couldn't forgive him, but he asked for their help.

"Hermione always had the need to hide parts of her life from us," Jane Granger stated. "She thinks we can't handle things. She's wrong, of course. I do think she loves you. Just from the way she would mention your name, I thought she had deep feeling toward you."

"Will you help me? Will you help me win her back?" Draco pleaded.

"What's your plan, son?" Hermione's father asked Draco.

Draco actually did have a plan, and it definitely involved her parents, but they needed to act quickly. He told them what he wanted to do, and they thought it was a splendid idea, and they said they would be happy to help. Draco told them he would return tomorrow, to put the plan in motion.

He got up to leave, and hugged them both goodbye. He was going to shake her father's hand, but the older man caught him off guard by pulling Draco into an embrace, so Draco hugged back. He stood from the couch, walked out the front door, and came face to face with Mrs. Draco Malfoy herself.

Hermione looked beyond shocked. "What were you doing in there, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Talking to Mum and Dad," he said flippantly.

"Mum and Dad?" she asked incredulously.

"That's what they told me to call them," he answered back with a smug look on his face.

"Seriously, what did you talk about with my parents?" she asked, putting one of her hands on his arm, and pulling him away from the front door, as if the front door had ears and might hear his answer.

He stood for a moment, and gave her a lopsided grin. She was smart. She would conclude what they discussed any moment now…he would give her a minute…maybe a little more…and then she would figure it out, he hoped.

"Wait a minute! Mum and Dad? Did you tell them we were married?" she gasped. See, dammit, he knew his wife was smart.

"We are; so yes I did," he told her.

She actually smacked his arm and said, "Tell me you didn't."

"Okay, I didn't," he mocked.

She sighed, a sigh of relief, and said, "Oh good, I thought you were serious for a moment."

"Oh, I am serious. I did tell them," he said again.

"But you just said you didn't! Which is it?" she almost screamed.

"You asked me, and I quote, 'tell me you didn't' so, to accommodate my lovely wife, I said what you wanted to hear, and told you that I didn't, but I did," he said to her, and then he smirked again.

She hit him again and said, "WHAT? Are you nuts?"

"I am quite sane, Granger, and please, stop hitting me. That's a crime known as spousal abuse, and the law takes that very serious these days," he told her. Then he put his arm around her and said, "Come, Granger, let us walk and talk."

She was still in a state of shock, so she followed him down her street. He still had his arm around her shoulder.

"Do you still want to be married to me?' he asked her lightly.

"Yes," she said hesitantly. He thought she was going to say no. He had the perfect comeback if her answer had been no. Now, he didn't know what to say.

She looked up at him, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he dropped his arm from her shoulder and took her hand. "Do you want to come home with me?" he inquired.

"Not particularly," she answered honestly. "Why don't we just date a while, and get to know each other, under normal circumstances, and then we can have a proper wedding in my parents' garden, like I always wanted," she told him earnestly.

"How long are we talking?" he asked her, with his head cocked to one side.

She stopped walking, which forced him to stop. She said, "I was thinking sometime in the spring."

"Bloody hell, Granger, I thought you might say a few weeks. I'm not waiting until the spring," he demanded.

"Well, it's not totally up to you, is it?" she pouted.

She had a point there. "Granger, can we apparate up to your bedroom for a moment?" he asked her.

She eyed him suspiciously, and said, "Sex won't change my mind. Anyway, I can't have sex with you while my parents are home."

"You're a pervert," he told her. "What makes you think I want to have sex with you? Can we please just go to your bedroom for a moment?" She nodded yes, and she disapparated from the spot, with him close behind.

The both appeared in her bedroom. She removed her coat. He removed his. She eyed him wearily, and said, "Don't take off anything else." He gave her a sarcastic laugh.

"Come here, Granger," he told her.

"No, just tell me why we're up here," she pleaded.

"I want to dance with you." He smiled widely.

"You're crazy. Anyway, there's no music," she said, while folding her arms across her chest. "Now tell me why are we really up here?"

"We are about to have sex," he said with a serious tone.

"You said we weren't coming up here to have sex," she said steadily.

"Yes, and we already know about my long history of lying, so I really don't know why you believe a thing I say," he said, pulling her close.

"Malfoy, my parents are downstairs!" Hermione reminded him.

"Live dangerously, Granger," he told her with a purr. He pointed his wand at her door, and did a silencing charm, and a locking charm. He threw his wand down on the floor, and started to remove his shirt. Her eyes became wide.

"Draco, you can't force me to have sex, you know." She put her hands on her hips.

"There will be no force needed," he whispered. He was bare from the waist up. She admired his finely sculptured chest and abdominal muscles. He could tell she was appreciative of his shoulders and chest. He pulled her to him and pushed her hair behind her ear. He put his hands on her shoulders, and rubbed them up and down her arms several times. She appeared cold. Perhaps she was anxious instead.

He kissed her right ear, while wrapping both arms tight around her waist. He pulled at the earlobe. He nibbled down her jaw line. He sucked on her neck. He moved his head the other direction, and repeated the action on the other side. His right hand had traveled farther up her back, and was stroking her with small circles. His left hand had traveled farther down her back, and was resting on her round bum.

He looked at her lips. He loved those lips. He kissed her, with a small but forceful kiss. He licked her bottom lip, and kissed again. Then his tongue darted back out and he licked her top lip, and then he kissed her again. He kissed her for what felt like an eternity, and he could feel her defenses weakening.

"Do you love me?" she suddenly asked. What an inane question. Did he love her?

"Don't be an idiot. Of course I love you," he said with a smile. He kissed her forehead. He returned to her mouth. He sank his tongue deep in her mouth, and he felt her tongue come alive from the touch of his. They kissed each other as if they had never kissed before. He felt so hard for her. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted her before, and that was saying a lot.

She pushed him away, suddenly, and with force. 'No, Hermione. Please don't make me stop,' he thought. Instead, she pulled her jumper over her head, and then removed her t-shirt. He came up to her and unzipped her jeans for her. He pulled her close and started kissing her again. His hand traveled down the back of her jeans, and with them being unzipped, he had room to put his hand inside the back of the jeans and cup her buttocks. He reached up the other hand and removed her bra.

She sat down on the bed and removed her jeans all the way off her legs. He removed the remainder of his clothing. He sat on the bed next to her, and pulled her to him, so she straddled his lap. He played with her breasts. He pulled on them, and pinched the nipples. She arched her back. He put his hands behind her, to steady her, so she wouldn't fall. He bent down and put one nipple in his mouth, and sucked on the tip. He licked and kissed her nipple, and then released it with a 'pop'. He turned his attention to the other breast. This one he languished with long licks from his tongue. Then he took the nipple in his mouth and gently bit the tip. She growled. She actually growled. She was rubbing up against his whole length. She still had on her knickers.

He fell back against the bed, with his feet still on the floor. She bent over him and started kissing his chest. She bit his nipple in return for him biting hers. She leaned to her side, and removed her knickers. She sat back on top of him, and from that position, her cleft was dangerously close to him. She must have realized this, because she pulled herself upright, and positioned herself at his tip, and came down hard on him. He grasped the bedspread. She was still sitting upright. Her back arched, and she steadied herself by putting her hands on his thighs.

She started moving side to side, and up and down. He usually didn't like the woman on top. He usually liked to be in complete control, but this was incredible. With her on top, he could go so much deeper than he had been able to penetrate her. Her climax was close, and so was his. He didn't think he could move to turn her over, so he decided to stay the hell where he was.

She started screaming; thank goodness, he put that silencing charm up. He started screaming as well. He had never screamed during sex. At the last moment he sat upright, and not wanting to lose their edge, he leaned back on his arms, but was still sitting. She leaned back as far as she could. She was in the middle of her climax, and he had to put his arms behind her to keep her from falling off the bed. He pulled her close; she convulsed in his arms. She had finished, but he hadn't.

He quickly turned them over and drove himself into her as deep into as he could. She put her legs around his back. He came just a second later. She unwrapped her legs, and he was still shaking. He went to roll off her and rolled off the bed.

She looked down at him and started to laugh. He was still breathing hard, coming down from his high, so he couldn't yet appreciate the humour of him falling off the bed. When his heartbeat came back to normal and his hard breathing started to subside, he reached up on the bed, grabbed her closest body part, which happened to be her leg, and pulled her down on top of him. She fell with a thud, and landed directly on his chest.

She stayed on top of him, and put her chin on his chest. She had an evil smile on her face, which prompted him to ask, "Did you mean to try to kill me?"

"Would I really inherit millions of I did?" she laughed.

"Yes," he said.

"No, I wasn't trying to kill you. Anyway, you fell off the bed, I didn't push you," she said as she sat up and started stroking his chest.

"I didn't mean the falling off the bed part. I meant the sex," he said, pushing her hand away from his chest, and forcing her on her back. He bent down and gave her another good, long kiss.

Then, suddenly, he got up, and he realized he could stay in her arms forever. The rest of his life, but he had things to do, to prepare for tomorrow. She looked confused as he started to look around for his clothes. As he started to dress, she stood up and started to dress as well.

She had already put on her jeans and bra, and was about to put her t-shirt over her head, when he pulled her over to him. "Do you have plans tomorrow?" he asked her as he stroked her face.

"No, it's Sunday. Why?" she asked.

"Just promise me you'll leave the house for a couple of hours tomorrow, say between 10 am and 2 pm," he said, and then he kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"Why do I have to leave my house?" she asked, as she put both hands on his chest.

"Because, it will just make things easier. Your parents are going to try to come up with some way to make you leave anyway, so just save us all the trouble, and make yourself scarce," he pleaded.

"I don't want any more secrets or lies," she said plaintively, removing her body from his grasp and putting on her jumper.

"It's not a secret or a lie. It's a surprise. Now, do what I say woman. You're my wife now, and you will obey me," he said, grabbing her again.

"You're such a funny little man Malfoy." She laughed at him, removing herself from his embrace again, and said, "You really think I'm going to obey you? How funny. I'll leave the house from 10 am to 2 pm tomorrow, all right? But because I want to, not because you told me to." He didn't care what she said, he was just happy she finally conceded.

He smiled and embraced her and then said, "Thanks for the sex. That should hold me over until tomorrow." She rolled her eyes, and hit his arm again. He grabbed his coat and apparated to his own flat. He had a lot to do.

(Coming up in Chapter 18: Hermione's surprise.)


	18. 18 Draco and Hermione

**all characters belong to JKR**

**Chapter 18: Draco and Hermione:**

Draco arrived at the house at ten minutes after 10:00 am. He was pleased to see that Hermione had obeyed his orders and had left the house. Her parents started moving around the house, in a hurry. They had a lot to do, and only a few hours to do everything. Around noon, Hermione's friends started arriving, as well as the whole damn Weasley clan and spouses. The remaining Order of the Phoenix members came next. Some of their old schoolmates from Hogwarts showed up, and Hermione's aunt, uncle, and two cousins came about 1pm. Everything seemed to be under control, and moving smoothly.

Ron came into the kitchen, where Hermione's mum was icing a cake and said, "I put the warming charm over the entire garden. Harry and my brother Charlie are finishing with the chairs. What else can I do?" Just then, Draco walked in the room.

"Just relax, Weasley," he told him. Everything was going smoothly. Draco walked out to the garden, where Mrs. Weasley and Bill Weasley's wife Fleur were finishing up with the flowers. Everything looked beautiful.

Ginny Weasley walked out to the garden and said, "I got the little stuff bear you wanted out of Hermione's bedroom. Where should he sit?" Draco pointed to a chair in the front row. Ginny rolled her eyes and plopped the little bear on the chair. She took out her wand and transfigured his little outfit into a miniature tuxedo. Draco smiled and told her thank you.

Hermione's mum called for Draco. He walked back into the house. She said, "Hermione's dad and I are going to go up and get dressed now. You should do the same." Draco nodded, but then he realized something. He thought of everything but one thing. What was Hermione going to wear? He dashed over to Ginny Weasley and told her his predicament. She rolled her eyes for the second time, and vanished away. She returned not five minutes later with a beautiful off-white, short dress. It wasn't quite a wedding dress, but it would do.

Draco went upstairs to Hermione's old bedroom and started to change into a suit and tie. He and Hermione were having their wedding today. They were already married…but this was their wedding. He hoped beyond hope that this would be close to the wedding that she always dreamed.

Someone knocked on the door; he opened it and saw Potter. "It's almost 2 o'clock, Draco," Harry said. Harry called him Draco, not just Malfoy. Maybe Scarboy wasn't too bad after all. Draco finished tying his tie and he ran down the stairs. He had just reached the bottom step, when the doorbell rang.

He looked at his watch. It was exactly 2:00 pm. It had to be Granger. Her parents came into the foyer, and all her friends and family started filling the hallway and the living room. All eyes were on the door. Draco started sweating profusely. He was nervous. Why? He had already married her. He took a deep breath. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted this to make her happy. Ron came up behind Draco and pushed him down the remaining step. He walked up to the front door, and looked around one last time.

Everyone was smiling. Her parents were absolutely beaming. So many people loved Hermione. He felt the love for her, radiating off them, and it filled the whole house with its warmth. If all those people could love her this much, maybe they could some day grow to at least like Draco, if only by association. He opened the door, and stepped aside.

He was shocked at what he saw before him. Standing in front of him was his mother and father. They were both dressed in formal dress robes, and had large smiles on their faces. His father shook his hand, and his mother gave him a kiss on his cheek, and handed him a package with a large bow. He was so confused. Who told them about the wedding? He knew he didn't, because he thought, even after all those years, they would never have approved. Maybe he was wrong. He turned to the throng of people behind him, and said, "Thank you to whoever invited my parents to my wedding. This is a wonderful surprise."

As his mother and father stepped over the threshold, he saw Hermione, standing there in a beautiful wedding dress, holding a bouquet of flowers, and she said, "You're welcome, Draco. I'm the one that invited your parents. That's where I've been all afternoon." He grabbed her arm, and escorted her into the entryway.

"How did you know?" he asked her. He looked around the room, and said to the crowd, "Who told her? Potter? Weasley?" Everyone shook their heads or said 'no'. He looked at her parents, and they shook their heads. He looked back at Hermione, and repeated, "How did you know?"

"You're just so transparent. I can read you like a book. Just remember that. You'll never be able to throw one over on me; so no mendacious behavior, or lying in the future, because I'll know," she joked. He bent and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

Their wedding was beautiful. She told him later it was what she had always imagined. Everyone quickly removed all the seats, and turned the garden into a wonderful reception area, with food and candles, and music and a dance floor.

Hermione stood and danced with her father. She looked so lovely. Draco danced with her mother. They left their partners, and danced with each other. They sat back down, ate some cake, listened to some speeches, and had a wonderful time in general.

Draco took Hermione in the house for a moment. He told her he wanted to give her a present, but in private. They went to her father's den. He handed her a small present, which she promptly unwrapped. Inside was a small bowl. She looked up at him with a quizzical look, and he said, "The moment I knew I loved you, was when I brought you that can of pears, and you went on endlessly about how I forgot a bowl." She laughed and handed him his present. He opened it, and inside was a can of pears. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, but without a trace of a smile.

"I told you I could read you like a book, and for your information, that was the exact moment I knew I loved you as well." She smiled at him. He took the bowl from her, and put it on the desk, along with the can of pears. He took her hands, and pulled her body flush against his.

"I was lonely for so long, Granger," he stated, and then kissed her on the mouth.

"You'll never be lonely again, oh, and my name is Malfoy now," she laughed and kissed him back.

-The End-


End file.
